Chandigarh, April 8 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to the controversial head of sect Satlok Ashram, Rampal, who is serving a life sentence in connection with the 2014 riots and violence at the Karantha Ashram in Barwala in Hisar.

He has been lodged in Central Jail in Hisar, some 200 km from Chandigarh.

“The High Court’s bail order will be sent to the respective court. After that, the bail bond will be filed there. Then the order will reach the jail and after this Rampal will be released,” Central Jail Superintendent Umesh Kumar told the media.

Rampal, 74, was arrested in connection with a contempt of court case emerging out of the murder of a man in 2006, as well as the sedition case in connection with large-scale violence in 2014.

A Division Bench of Justices G.S. Gill and Ramesh Kumari accepted the regular bail plea with conditions in the case involving sedition and other serious sections registered against him.

During the hearing, it was argued that statements of about 450 witnesses have been recorded in the case and the trial has progressed significantly. In such a situation, regular bail should be granted in view of the long judicial process.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the Division Bench disposed of the petition and decided to grant regular bail to Rampal.

However, the court granted bail with certain conditions. Last year, the High Court suspended the life sentence of self-styled godman Rampal, seven years after he was awarded it in a case involving the death of five of his disciples.

Rampal was sentenced on October 11, 2018, by a Hisar court for murder, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy after a follower, Raj Bala, died of ‘asphyxia’.

Rampal and sect functionaries were booked by Haryana Police in November 2014 after they challenged the directions of the High Court asking them to appear in a case of contempt of court.

Security personnel from state and central forces were deployed to arrest Rampal and his aides. A 10-day-long operation resulted in his arrest on November 19, 2014.

–IANS

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