Jump to content

Rampal (spiritual leader)

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sant Rampal)

For other uses, see Rampal.

Rampal
Image of Rampal
Born
Rampal Singh Jatain

(1951-09-08) 8 September 1951 (age 73)
Dhanana village, Punjab (now Sonipat, Haryana), India
Other namesRampal Dass
EducationDiploma in Civil Engineering
Alma materGovt. Polytechnic Nilokheri
OccupationLeader of religious sect
OrganizationSatlok Ashram
PredecessorSwami Ramdevanand
Details
CountryIndia
State(s)Haryana
Date apprehended
19 November 2014
Imprisoned atHisar Central Jail-2[1]
Websitejagatgururampalji.org

Rampal (born Rampal Singh Jatain on 8 September 1951) is an Indian religious cult leader and murder convict of the Kabir Panth religious denomination.[2]

He is a disciple of Swami Ramdevanand, a local seer, and Hindu saint from the Garib Das Panth sect. In 1994, Swami Ramdevanand selected him as his successor, causing Rampal to quit his job as a junior engineer.[3] In 1999, he and his followers established Satlok Ashram in Rohtak, Haryana[4] and would go on to start several other ashrams in Jhajjar and Rohtak.[3]

In 2006, Rampal publicly objected to certain parts of Satyarth Prakash, a central book of Arya Samaj.[5] In July 2006, a violent confrontation between the followers of Arya Samaj and the supporters of Rampal took place at the Satlok Ashram, leading to the death of an Arya Samaj follower. Rampal was accused of triggering the confrontation and charged and arrested for murder.[5] After 21 months in jail, he was released on bail in 2008.[6]

However, in 2014, authorities again ordered his arrest on contempt charges after Rampal repeatedly failed to appear in court.[7] Police then attempted to storm the Satlok Ashram, where they violently clashed with Rampal's followers, trying to prevent his arrest. The standoff between the police and his followers would injure multiple people, including those from media crews,[2] and six people were killed during the week-long siege.[7][8] Afterwards, Rampal was arrested and taken to Chandigarh to be tried.[7] He was acquitted of charges on 20th December 2022.[9]

Rampal was charged with wrong confinement, murder, sedition, among other charges. In 2018, he and 26 of his followers were found guilty of murder (among other offences) and were sentenced to life imprisonment for the six deaths during the 2014 standoff.[10]

Early life

Rampal was born in Dhanana, a village in the Gohana tehsil of Sonipat district, Punjab. His father Bhakt Nandlal was a farmer, and his mother Indro Devi was a housewife.[11][12][13]

He obtained a diploma in civil engineering from the Industrial Training Institute in Nilokheri, Karnal, and then worked as a junior engineer for 18 years in the Government of Haryana's Irrigation department.[14]

Rampal is married to Anaro Devi, and they have two sons and two daughters; the family lived in the Barwala Ashram until the siege.[13]

Initiation into Yatharth Kabir panth

According to his official biography, Rampal was an ardent devotee of the Hindu deities Hanuman, Krishna and Khatushyam from a young age.[4] He states that he never achieved salvation, well-being, or peace as a result of this devotion. One day, he met Swami Ramdevanand, a spiritual leader of the Garib Das panth, which is part of the wider Kabir panth. Swami Ramdevanand told him that he could not attain salvation through the prevalent religious practices, which were a "false web" spread by the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, along with their parents Brahm ("Kaal Niranjan") and Durga ("Ashtangi Aadi Maya").[15]

Rampal states that he then studied several spiritual books, including Bhagavad Gita, Kabir Sagar, Sad Granth Saheb by Garib Das, and "all the Puranas". He claims to have found evidence supporting the statements of Swami Ramdevanand in these books. He took initiation from him on 17 February 1988.[16] He claims that he, then, started an intense jaap, after which he started experiencing "mental peace and extreme happiness".[15]

In Rampal's biography he writes that in 1993, Swami Ramdevanand asked him to start delivering sermons and in 1994, Swami Ramdevanand chose him as his successor.[15] He gained local popularity by touring various villages and cities in Haryana and became so busy that he resigned from his job as a junior engineer in May 1995.[15]

In 2006, Rampal raised objections to certain parts of Satyarth Prakash, the central text of the Arya Samaj religious sect, referring to them as "impractical and anti-social." This angered the followers of Arya Samaj, who surrounded his ashram, eventually resulting in a clash between the followers of two sects on 12 July 2006.[5] During the clash, one person was shot dead and 59 more were injured.[17][18][19] Rampal was charged with murder and attempted murder, and was jailed for 21 months. His followers claim that he was falsely implicated in the case and demanded a CBI investigation. Rampal was forced to vacate the Karontha Ashram.[17]

Another complaint of forgery was filed against him a day after the 2006 clashes. According to this complaint, the sale of land for his Karontha Ashram was fabricated using impersonation.[18] Rampal's followers claim that they had no role to play in this impersonation, and the person who sold the land was at fault.[20] On 1 May 2018, the court acquitted Rampal and his followers Rajender and Ravinder Dhaka in the land grab case registered in 2006.[21]

After Rampal was released on bail in 2008, he set up his base in Barwala, Hisar.[5] In 2009, the High Court returned the Karontha Ashram to him.[22][23] An appeal against the judgement was filed by the Haryana Government and Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, but was rejected by the apex court in February 2013.[24] On 1 May 2018, Judicial Magistrate Harish Goyal of Rohtak Court acquitted Rampal and three others in the Karontha Ashram land forgery case and rather held the complainantants guilty.[25][26]

After obtaining bail, Rampal did not appear in court regularly for his trial in the murder case. His followers were inside the Karontha Ashram when Arya Samaj-affiliated villagers, in an attempt to attack the ashram, clashed with the police protecting the ashram in May of 2013, which resulted in death of 3 people, including a policeman. In addition, around 100 people were injured.[27][28] Unable to check the villagers, the police forced Rampal followers to leave the Karontha Ashram, and move to Barwala Ashram. Arya Samaj activists demanded his arrest and trial.[29] On 14 May 2014, he appeared in the Hisar court via video call. On this occasion, his followers entered the court premises and created chaos.[30] Rampal is a controversial preacher but has a large number of followers in the Haryana state of India and in other parts of Northern India.[31]

In July 2014, some Arya Samaji lawyers clashed with Rampal's followers that again disrupted the court proceedings.[12] In September 2014, Rampal was asked to appear before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh, in a contempt of court case. The local administration imposed Section 144 and deployed 2,000 police personnel to prevent his followers from entering the city. Despite this, thousands of followers gathered in the city, although Rampal did not appear before the court.[32]

During 2010–14, Rampal avoided appearing in court hearings 42 times.[33] In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him after his followers were alleged of disrupting court's proceedings.[34] When the police tried to detain him on 9 November, his followers formed human chains outside the Satlok Ashram to prevent the police from arresting him. The police tried to initiate a dialogue, and asked him to surrender.[35] Rampal's followers announced that the police will have to kill more than 100,000 followers before arresting him.[36]

By 18 November, his Satlok Ashram in Hisar was protected by thousands of his followers who wielded lathis and flags reading "SatSaheb," the word used for God. The Ashram was also protected by thousands of women devotees who blocked the entrance for several days, which prevented the police from entering it.[37] More than 20,000 security personnel and police forced their way into the ashram, but they could not find Rampal for arrest.[38][39] The police used earth movers to break wall on rear side of Ashram to find him, but were opposed by large number of followers who injured 28 police personnel in an effort to halt their entry. A large number of media personnel was also hit by the police.[40] The bodies of five women and an 18-month-old child were found in his ashram.[41][42]

Rampal was arrested on the night of 19 November 2014, along with more than 900 of his followers, on charges including sedition, murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, hoarding illegal weapons, wrongful confinement, and aiding and abetting suicide-mongers.[42][43][44] His followers demanded CBI investigation of the whole incident.

Murder Convictions

On 29 August 2017, Rampal was found not guilty and acquitted in two cases related to wrongful confinement and obstruction of duty by Hisar court; he remained in judicial custody as the cases of murder and sedition were still ongoing.[45]

On 11 October 2018, Rampal was found guilty of murder in two cases with FIR no. 429 and 430. Both cases pertain to the death of five women and an eighteen-month-old infant at his Satlok Ashram in Barwala in 2014 during clashes between his supporters and police.[46] On 16 October 2018, all the convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment along with ₹2 Lakh fine each. The then Additional District and Sessions Judge D.R. Chalia pronounced the punishment for Rampal and fourteen of his followers of life imprisonment and also a fine of ₹1 lakh each was imposed separately for murder and criminal conspiracy. The convicts were also awarded a sentence of two years imprisonment and fined ₹5,000 each for wrongful confinement. The jail terms were pronounced to run concurrently.[8]

On 30 October 2021, Rampal was jailed for 3 years under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and the Essential Commodities Act. This seven-year-old case involves a seizure of 408 LPG cylinders and 2,600 liters of diesel in Satlok Ashram in Barwala town. He was acquitted on charges of cheating.[47]

On 20 December 2022, he was acquitted in the 2006 firing case.[48]

Teachings

Rampal and his followers claim that he is an incarnation of Kabir, a 15th century Indian mystical poet, who is also considered to be the supreme God.[12][49][50] He claims that all the major religious scriptures — including the Vedas, Gita, Quran, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib — name Kabir as the supreme god.[51] Rampal claims to be the initiator of the thirteenth Kabir Panth, which he claims will transform earth into heaven and bring the golden era with his knowledge and worship. He also claims that after coming into contact with him, thousands had their chronic illnesses cured and families regained their fortunes.[4] He takes guarantee to salvage his disciples to Satlok and ending all their sufferings if they followed all the rules of worship laid down by him.[52]

Rampal preaches against temple visits, dowry, idol worship, unnecessary donations, untouchability, adultery, and "vulgar singing and dancing." He is strictly against the consumption of meat, tobacco, and alcohol as he says that it incurs great sin and causes immense suffering in next lives.[53]

On Rampal's website, those who are hostile to him and his followers along with those who turned away from him are labeled as "traitors." The website claims that those who approach a traitor of the guru "will go to hell" in this and future lives.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Highlights: Rampal case verdict: Self-styled godman acquitted in two criminal cases, to remain in jail". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Haryana police storm godman Rampal's ashram, main gate damaged: Report | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b "From Junior Engineer To Godman: The Rise, Arrest And Fall Of Rampal". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Rampal: How did an engineer become a revered guru?". BBC India. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Deepender Deswal (13 May 2013). "Rohtak clash: Sant Rampal triggered it". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  6. ^ Avijit Ghosh (21 November 2014). "Rampal pleads he was held hostage; sent to police custody | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Indian Guru Rampal arrested after deadly ashram clashes". BBC News. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Self-Styled Godman Rampal, In Jail For Murder, Gets Another Life Term". NDTV. 17 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  9. ^ Awasthi, Ashwani (20 December 2022). "Breaking News : सतलोक आश्रम मामले में कथित संत रामपाल समेत 24 आरोपित कोर्ट से बरी | Hari Bhoomi". www.haribhoomi.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Godman Rampal convicted in two murder cases, punishment next week". India Today. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  11. ^ Singh (14 May 2013). "Rampal and his religious engineering". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
  12. ^ a b c "Who is godman Sant Rampal". Mint. Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  13. ^ a b Varinder Bhatia; Dipankar Ghose (23 November 2014). "Sant Rampal: From the most followed, to the most wanted". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  14. ^ "From a junior engineer to a brazen baba". Hindustan Times. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d "Saint Rampal Ji – Biography | Jagat Guru Rampal Ji". www.jagatgururampalji.org. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  16. ^ NEWS, SA (14 February 2022). "17 February Bodh Diwas 2022 Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj — Know the Day Which Has Changed the Humankind". SA News Channel. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  17. ^ a b "5 things you should know about godman Rampal". Business Standard. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Cases against Haryana godman Rampal". The Times of India. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  19. ^ "रामपाल को पेशी से छूट मिलने की समीक्षा, Haryana Mail, 17 September 2013". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  20. ^ "A Brief Introduction of Saint Rampal Ji Sahib's Life History". Kabir Parmeshwar Bhakti Trust. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  21. ^ "Rampal, 2 others acquitted in 2006 land fraud case – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  22. ^ "आखिर कौन हैं बाबा रामपाल, naidunia, 18 Nov 2014". Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  23. ^ "कौन है यह स्वयंभू संत रामपाल, जिसने राज्य को बंधक बनाया, News 24, 18 November 2014". Archived from the original on 21 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  24. ^ Rohtak village tense over ashram opening, Hindustan Times, 10 April 2013
  25. ^ "Rampal, 2 others acquitted in 2006 land fraud case – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  26. ^ "Rampal acquitted in property fraud case". 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  27. ^ "3 killed, 100 injured in Rohtak ashram clash, Times of India, 13 May 2013". Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  28. ^ "Two killed, 115 injured in Rohtak clash, The Hindu, 13 May 2013". Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  29. ^ "रामपाल के खिलाफ तेज किया जाएगा आंदोलन : आर्य रामपाल तथा उसके साथियों पर हत्या का मामला दर्ज करने की मांग, Samay Live, 13 May 2013". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  30. ^ पुलिस ने गिराई रामपाल के आश्रम की दीवार, समर्थकों ने खड़ी की सिलेंडरों की कतारें Archived 18 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Dainik Bhaskar, 18 November 2014
  31. ^ Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek (16 November 2014). "Haryana cuts supply of essentials to Rampal's ashram". The Hindu, newspaper. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  32. ^ Diljot Singh (25 September 2014). "Rohtak sectors head supporters keep Chandigarh on edge". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  33. ^ Deepshikha Ghosh (17 November 2011). "No Will to Arrest Murder-Accused 'Godman': Court Slams Haryana". NDTV. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  34. ^ "Court issues fresh warrants against sect leader Rampal". gulfnews.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  35. ^ "Rampal followers stand guard outside his ashram in Barwala". The Times of India. 9 November 2014. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  36. ^ Bhaskar Mukherjee (10 November 2014). "Rampal ashram turns into fortress". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  37. ^ "mole helped cops close in on godman rampal". FirstPost. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  38. ^ "Godman's supporters clash with police, over 100 injured". New Indian Express. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  39. ^ "Deadline over, crackdown begins at Rampal's ashram". India Today, New Delhi. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  40. ^ "Police enter ashram, clash with godman's follower". The Hindu, news paper. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  41. ^ Six dead in Rampal's ashram in Hisar, not even a single one hurt by police bullets, says Haryana DGP
  42. ^ a b 20 November 2014 'Godman' Rampal arrested, 15,000 followers freed, 492 held for violence Archived 20 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, The Times of India
  43. ^ "Haryana police arrest godman Rampal". The Times of India. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  44. ^ Ch (28 November 2014). "Rampal arrest cost exchequer a whopping Rs 26 crore". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  45. ^ "'Godman' Rampal found not guilty by Haryana court in 2 criminal cases, no judgment yet on murder charge – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  46. ^ Varma, Shylaja (11 October 2018). "Godman Rampal convicted in two murder cases, punishment next week". NDTV. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  47. ^ "Three-year jail for Rampal in 7-year-old case". The Tribune. 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  48. ^ Awasthi, Ashwani (20 December 2022). "Breaking News : सतलोक आश्रम मामले में कथित संत रामपाल समेत 24 आरोपित कोर्ट से बरी | Hari Bhoomi". www.haribhoomi.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  49. ^ "Dharti Par Avtar, Dr. Sardar Surajpal Singh, 4th Ed, March 2011, p. 28" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  50. ^ "So who is this godman Rampal after all?". rediff.com. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  51. ^ "Jagat Guru Rampal Ji Maharaj: Holy Books". Kabir Parmeshwar Bhakti Trust. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  52. ^ NEWS, SA (14 February 2022). "17 February Bodh Diwas 2022 Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj — Know the Day Which Has Changed the Humankind". SA News Channel. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  53. ^ "Fugitive Guru Arrested After Standoff With Police". New York Times. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rampal_(spiritual_leader)&oldid=1250552662"