Hisar: Police arrests Sant Rampal

According to reports, he was arrested from his Satlok Ashram here.

The police has taken him to Chandigarh in an ambulance, reports said.

"He has been arrested from his ashram," a police official told reports.

He will be produced in the court on Thursday, the official added.

After local administration faced massive resistance from controversial Sant Rampal's supporters on Tuesday, the Haryana police on Wednesday slapped charges of sedition against the self styled godman and his followers.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, reports emerged that four women have died inside the ashram.

A fifth woman, a 20-year-old, reportedly had a heart condition and died in hospital.

Death of a 18-month-old infant have also been reported.

The police went to arrest Rampal after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against him in a contempt case.

The court had ordered the government to arrest Rampal by Friday.

Rampal was charged with murder and other offences that took place on July 12, 2006 after one person died and several others were injured following a violent clash between his followers and another group.

He along along with 38 others was being tried in a sessions court of Rohtak.

Rampal, an engineer-turned-guru has reportedly skipped court 43 times in four years in the case.

He was granted bail by the High court on April 2, 2008.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court again summoned Rampal in person after his supporters allegedly attacked a group of lawyers during a hearing on the murder case last month.

The controversial guru has managed to avoid arrests despite three warrants since November 5.

Supporters of Rampal had said he is sick and would not be able to travel to the court.

But, the HC rejected the plea, which took strict cognisance of the fact that Rampal's supporters attacked lawyers.

The bench of justice M Jeyapaul rejected Rampal’s counsel’s request for hearing through video-conferencing or more time on account of ill health. “We are prepared to address that health issue."

Policemen in riot gear used teargas shells, water-cannons, batons and bulldozers Tuesday to enter controversial guru Rampal's sprawling "Satlok Ashram" at Hisar in Haryana as thousands of his supporters fought to prevent his arrest.