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Two MLAs who joined negotiations

Rampal had initially been insisting on surrendering before a court.

Two MLAs helped negotiate with Sant Rampal leading to his arrest. Jai Prakash, independent MLA from Kalayat, says he was the first to make contact with Rampal to try and convince him to give himself up. This was after three meetings with Rampal’s close aides. The other MLA was Subhash Barala, of the BJP and from Tohana; he joined the negotiations later.

“Finally, it is done,” Jai Prakash told The Indian Express after Rampal was arrested. “Good sense prevailed and the sant is now with the police. I had tried earlier to convince Santji to present himself before a court, but this time I was hopeful he would listen.”

Jai Prakash said in response to a question that no conditions were attached to the surrender. Rampal had initially been insisting on surrendering before a court.

Jai Prakash had been with the Congress until the recent elections when he contested as an independent. He was very close to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. His constituency of Kalayat is close to Barwala where the ashram is situated, and Jai Prakash has indeed represented Barwala earlier. He had made a futile attempt to meet Rampal three days ago.

Once close also to former deputy PM Devi Lal, Jai Prakash later became an aide of Om Prakash Chautala, then joined the Haryana Vikas Party of former chief minister Bansi Lal and eventually the Congress. So far, the independent MLA has not declared his support to the BJP government.

First uploaded on: 20-11-2014 at 03:54 IST

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