Self-styled godman, Rampal, was acquitted in two separate cases by a Hisar court on Tuesday. The Haryana religious leader was facing a trial in a 2014 rioting case and another of obstructing government officials from performing their duty.
However, Rampal will still have to stay in jail with several other cases pending against him. These cases include sedition and murder charges against the Kabir Panth leader.
On November 18, 2014, a case was registered against Rampal and his followers under IPC Sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of his public function), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (Assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty).
The hearings happened at a special court set up in the Hisar Central Jail. The special court had to be set up as Rampal’s supporters had gathered in large numbers each time the case come up for hearing and tried to create obstructions in court proceedings.
In a significant move, Tuesday’s verdict comes just a day after another self-styled godman, Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was sent to jail for 20 years by a special CBI judge in two rape cases.
However, Rampal still has several other cases pending against him including that of sedition in which the hearing is still underway.
The verdict in the two cases of Tuesday was earlier expected to be out on August 24 but was shifted to August 29 as the verdict in the much more sensitive Dera Sacha Sauda case had been scheduled for August 25.
Haryana Police had put in a request at Hisar Court to postpone the case to a later date keeping in view the law and order situation in the state.
