Clashes erupted at the ashram of controversial godman Rampal here in Haryana on Tuesday with police lobbing tear gas shells and using lathicharge to disperse his supporters who allegedly fired back.
A number of people were injured in the violence at the Satlok Ashram in this town in Hisar district.
The stand-off which has been continuing for several days between the authorities and Rampal’s supporters took a violent turn as the Haryana government was racing against time to get hold of the godman to meet the deadline of Friday set by Punjab and Haryana high court for producing him in a contempt case.
As security personnel including police and paramilitary forces stepped up efforts to disperse the followers, said to be in thousands inside the ashram, they faced stiff resistance.
A senior police official said supporters of the godman were firing from inside the ashram but police was exercising maximum possible restraint to minimise casualties.
A portion of the outer wall of the ashram had been razed even as thick cloud of smoke was seen inside the premises.
Police also said that stones were being hurled at them from inside the ashram as several followers and Rampal’s ‘private army’ had pitched themselves on the rooftop of the premises.
Authorities continued to face an uphill task in dispersing Rampal’s followers from the ashram here.
Police said they were facing a hostile crowd, some of them armed, from inside, but they were using restraint to keep the casualties to the minimum.
The 63-year-old godman was to appear before the high court on Monday but he did not do so, with his counsel saying he was “unwell” and could not travel from Barwala to Chandigarh, a distance of about 270km. He wanted more time for his production.
The high court then issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against him and asked the authorities to present him on Friday.
Rampal has cited health reasons for not appearing before the HC earlier on three dates.
This morning, some disciples who managed to come out from the ashram claimed that “thousands” of people were inside the premises and a vast majority of them wanted to leave immediately but were being prevented by lathi-wielding supporters of the godman.
A large number of women and children, are among those who are still inside the Satlok Ashram here, they claimed.
A woman follower, aged around 40, who identified herself as Kusum from Uttar Pradesh, said she somehow managed to come out from inside the ashram today.
“I forced my way out. There are scores of people still inside,” she said.
–PTI