A court in Haryana's Hisar today acquitted self- styled godman Rampal in two cases related to rioting, unlawful assembly and use of force. <br/><br/>However Rampal would not walk free as he is facing several other charges including murder.<br/><br/>Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Kumar granted the relief to the 66-year-old head of Satlok Ashram in Barwala and his followers at a makeshift court set up inside Hisar central jail, citing lack of evidence.<br/><br/>The court was hearing cases of alleged assault, obstructing public servant in discharge of public function, rioting, unlawful assembly, use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and other charges. <br/><br/>On August 24, the judge had deferred the date of hearing for today after the police cited tension in the wake of the Dera Sacha Sauda case.<br/><br/>The two cases were registered against Rampal and his followers in November 2014. Rampal was arrested after a tense standoff between his supporters and the police after close to 15,000 of his followers were evacuated from Satlok ashram premises at Barwala in 2014. The violent incident had left six people dead. <br/><br/>Rampal had even ignored the high court summons as he had failed to appear in the court in the 2006 murder case. <br/><br/>During search of his ashram, a huge cache of arms, a private swimming pool, and 24 AC rooms with one having a massage bed were found inside the highly-fortified Satlok Ashram from where Rampal was taken out in 2014.
News On AIR | August 29, 2017 6:40 PM
Rampal acquitted in two criminal cases, to remain in jail