Rampal, aides refuse to sign chargesheet; hearing on Sept 5

Tribune News Service

Hisar, July 17

Satlok Ashram head Rampal and his 47 disciples have refused to sign the charges framed against them by the sessions court for conspiring to wage war against country, attempt to murder, collecting arms with intent to facilitate design to wage war and assaulting public servant during the Satlok Ashram violence in Barwala town of the district in November 2014.

District Attorney (DA) Mahender Pal said here yesterday that the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Parasar yesterday framed the charges against a total of 942 accused.

The DA said that out of 942 accused, 142 had been charged under Sections 121 A, 122, 120B, 323, 332, 353, 188 and other sections of the IPC and under the Arms Act, Explosives Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The DA said that the charges had been framed on the basis of the chargesheet filed two years ago after hearing in the court in the FIR registered at the Barwala police station on November 18, 2014.

The DA said that around 48 of the total accused had refused to sign the charges framed against them. It would not have any impact during the trial in the court, he said, adding that September 5 had been fixed as the next date of hearing.

Rampal’s counsel, Supreme Court advocate AP Singh, however, said that Rampal and 47 others had refused to sign the charges framed by the court as they were not given the opportunity of hearing before filing the charges. “We have decided to challenge the framing of charges in the High Court,” he added.

The police had booked Rampal, his aides Raj Kapoor, Mahender, Purshotam Dass, Dharambir Dhanda, Raj Kumar, Tarun Kumar, Deep Dass, Baljit Singh, Sidharth, Ravinder and many others under serious charges of waging war against country, attempt to murder besides violating the prohibitory orders at Satlok Ashram in Barwala.