After 10 Years Behind Bars, High Court Suspends 'Godman' Rampal's Life Sentence

The legal saga of Satlok Ashram's controversial preacher Rampal has taken a significant turn as the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him relief after a decade of imprisonment. The 74-year-old self-proclaimed spiritual leader, serving life imprisonment for the deaths of five followers, walked free on suspended sentence Tuesday.

Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Deepinder Singh Nalwa weighed Rampal's advanced age against his substantial custody period of 10 years, eight months, and 21 days before deciding to suspend his sentence pending appeal. This decision comes seven years after his initial conviction on October 11, 2018, by Hisar's Special Court.

The case stemmed from a 2014 police operation to arrest Rampal from his fortified ashram. During the siege, five disciples died under circumstances that prosecutors called murder, while the defense argued were natural deaths from asphyxiation caused by tear gas shells used during the police action.

The court noted "debatable issues" surrounding whether the deaths were homicidal, particularly since eyewitnesses—relatives of the deceased—failed to support prosecution claims. State counsel had argued Rampal essentially held women and others hostage in suffocating conditions, while his lawyers maintained the deaths resulted from police tear gas deployment.

The court imposed stringent bail conditions prohibiting Rampal from promoting "mob mentality" or participating in gatherings that might breach peace and public order. Any violation could result in immediate bail cancellation.

This ruling effectively ends Rampal's imprisonment while his appeal against conviction continues through the legal system.

 

 

 

 

 

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