Punjab & Haryana High Court suspends life sentence of self-styled godman Rampal in Satlok Ashram murder case, cautioning him to not promote mob mentality or disturb public peace.
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Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has suspended the life sentence of self-styled godman Rampal, who was convicted in 2018 for the deaths of five women during the Satlok Ashram siege in Hisar (2014).
A division bench of Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill and Justice Deepinder Singh Nalwa passed the order on September 2, 2025, while hearing Rampal’s plea seeking suspension of his sentence pending appeal.
Background of the Case
Rampal was arrested on November 19, 2014, after a nearly two-week-long standoff between his followers and the police at the Satlok Ashram in Barwala, Hisar, Haryana. The confrontation left five women dead inside the ashram.
In October 2018, a Hisar trial court convicted Rampal under:
- Section 343 IPC (wrongful confinement)
- Section 302 IPC (murder)
- Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy)
He was sentenced to life imprisonment without remission and fined ₹1,00,000 each under Sections 302 and 120-B, along with two years imprisonment under Section 343.
Arguments by the Parties
For Rampal:
- Senior Advocate Vinod Ghai argued that Rampal was “falsely implicated” and that the medical reports pointed to natural causes such as asphyxia, pneumonia, or head injuries, not homicidal deaths.
- Relatives of the deceased testified that the women had either been ill or suffocated due to tear gas shells lobbed by police, not Rampal’s actions.
- Rampal, now 74 years old, has already undergone 10 years, 8 months, and 21 days of imprisonment.
- All 13 co-accused in the case had already been granted bail.
For the State:
- The prosecution argued that Rampal confined the women in a room, creating suffocating conditions that led to their deaths.
- It maintained that Rampal’s role was central and that his conviction was justified.
Court’s Observations
The bench noted:
- While there were specific allegations of wrongful confinement, the cause of death remained debatable.
“…while we find there are specific allegations against the applicant/appellant to the effect that he had kept the women & others captive, but there are certainly some debatable issues particularly regarding cause of death being homicidal or not.”
- Relatives of the deceased did not support the prosecution, instead blaming the police’s tear gas action.
- Rampal’s advanced age and substantial period of incarceration weighed in his favour.
The Court held that:
“Having regard to the fact that the applicant/appellant as on date is aged about 74 years and has undergone a substantial period of sentence i.e. 10 years, 08 months, and 21 days, we find it to be a fit case for suspending the sentence of the applicant/appellant during pendency of the main appeal.”
Conditions on Bail:
The Court imposed strict conditions while granting relief:
- Rampal must not promote mob mentality.
- He must avoid participating in congregations that could cause law and order issues.
- Any violation of bail terms could result in the cancellation or suspension of the sentence.
Case Title:
Rampal vs. State of Haryana
CRM-30769-2024 in/and CRM-29233-2024 in CRA-D-9008-2018
Read Order Here:
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