Hisar court rejects godman Rampal’s bail plea in sedition case

The bail application of Sant Rampal, who is in jail since November 2014, has been rejected by a Hisar district court in connection with a sedition case against him today.

Dismissing the bail application, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Parminder Kaur stated that the applicant’s detention in the present case cannot be said to be unconstitutional on the ground of delay; that the offences alleged are grave, serious, and strike at the authority of law; and that the apprehensions regarding disruption of public order and obstruction of trial are founded upon demonstrable conduct.

Stating that his release would severely disrupt public order, impede the ongoing trial, and pose a significant threat to the administration of justice, the court recalling the events of violence which led to the registration of case stated “…Rampal’s ashram was converted into a veritable fortress to thwart the majesty of law, and the State machinery had to mobilise extraordinary resources to regain control. Such conduct strikes at the very root of the rule of law and constitutes a direct challenge to the authority of courts”.

The court further added, “What looms larger in this case is the apprehension, not speculative but grounded in repeated past experience, that the release of the applicant would seriously imperil public order and thwart the course of justice. Even during virtual production, large congregations of his followers assemble outside merely to have a glimpse of the premises.”

The court stated that a multitude of persons, including an unusually high number of advocates including females, have sought to file vakalatnamas ostensibly to secure the privilege of appearing in the matter, but only to obtain a fleeting glimpse of the applicant during virtual hearing.

“The inflow of vakalatnamas has been so extraordinary that the court was constrained to restrict appearances by preparing a list of authorised counsel”. It added that, “This phenomenon itself reflects the extraordinary popularity enjoyed by the applicant amongst his followers. It is not difficult to imagine the magnitude of disruption that would follow if he were to be released on bail,” the court stated.

The order commented, “In a democracy founded on secular ideals and the rule of law, no self-styled spiritual figure can be permitted to whitewash the minds of followers to such an extent as to paralyse the administration of justice. History has repeatedly shown, including in the case of Ram Rahim, that where the majesty of law is sought to be overshadowed by cult personalities, the courts have been compelled to keep their foot down with unflinching resolve”.

Further, the court stated that “the previous conduct of the present applicant… unmistakably reveals his conscious defiance of the orders of the high court,” and remarked that had he submitted to the court’s jurisdiction peacefully, “the colossal destruction of public property… and the tragic loss of six precious human lives… could have been averted.” Citing past precedents, the court asserted that when cult figures defy the law, the judiciary must respond with “unflinching resolve.”

Concluding the order, the court said, “The balance of considerations tilts decisively against the grant of bail.”  The sedition case was registered against Rampal in the FIR No. 428 on November 18, 2014, at Barwala police station in Hisar district. According to the FIR, when the police reached Satlok Ashram in Barwala to execute non-bailable warrants issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, they were met with armed resistance. Hundreds of women and children were positioned at the gates, some of them armed with firearms and petrol bombs, manned the premises. The violent clashes resulted in injuries to police personnel and civilians, damage to public property, and loss of lives.

Rampal and several others were charged under multiple Sections of the IPC, UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, PDPP Act, and Arms Act, including serious charges like waging war against the State, sedition, attempt to murder, and unlawful assembly.