Hisar: A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued fresh non-bailable arrest warrants against a self-styled godman in a contempt of court case, his disciples today reaffirmed to resist attempt by police to appehend him.
"If Sant Rampal does not recover, medical certificate will be furnished again in the court on November 17," Barwala-based Satlok Ashram's spokesman Raj Kapoor said.
"We will resist his arrest even at the cost of our lives. More than one lakh followers are ready to sacrifice their lives for Sant ji," he claimed as the Ashram remained fortified by his followers, including women and children.
Senior volunteers of Rashtriya Samaj Sewa Samiti, an organization of followers of Sant Rampal, met inside the Ashram to chalk out next course of action in the wake of High Court orders to arrest him and produce on or before November 17.
After the meeting, Kapoor told reporters, "We have repeatedly said that Sant ji would appear in the court as soon as he recovers. A doctors' panel has already declared that he is not fit to travel. He is under observation and on oxygen cyclinder."
Meanwhile, devotees, wearing helmets, stood guard at the main gate of the ashram.
"The High Court order is unlawful and it has hurt the followers badly. We are passing through mental agony, firstly because the health of Sant ji is going down and secondly the High Court has made it a prestige point to arrest him. Let the police try to arrest him, we shall lay our lives for Sant ji," Kapoor said.
"Life of a person is more important than his appearance in the court. Sant ji has respect for the law and the court, but he should be first able to travel to Chandigarh," he said.
Yesterday, rejecting Haryana government's plea that self-styled godman Sant Rampal was unwell and his arrest would create law and order problem, Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a fresh non-bailable arrest warrant against him in a contempt case and asked why his bail in a 2006 murder case should not be cancelled.
Observing that the state government lacked willingness to arrest the godman and no sincere efforts were made to produce him before it, the HC directed the Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) and the Home Secretary to ensure that Rampal appears in person before it on or before November 17.
Rampal has been charged with interfering in judicial proceedings during the hearing of a case in the Hisar sessions court. On July 15, his supporters had marched inside the district court complex in Hisar and tried to create trouble in the court proceedings.
The HC took cognisance of the case and issued notices to Rampal and the state government. As he failed to appear before it, the court had last week issued non-bailable warrant against Rampal and asked the Haryana government to produce him and his aide Ram Kumar Dhaka before it yesterday.
Rampal had shifted his base from Rohtak to Barwala town of Hisar. In July 2006, during a clash with villagers, thousands of his followers had gathered at his ashram and made it tough for police to arrest Rampal in a murder case.
Again in 2013, when they tried to take possession of his ashram at Karontha village in Rohtak district, a large number of followers went inside the ashram during the night and refused to leave which led to a clash in which two persons were killed and many others injured.
