The Punjab and Haryana High Court has suspended the life sentence of Satlok Ashram preacher Rampal, who has been behind bars for more than ten years following his conviction for murder. The suspension, granted during the pendency of his appeal, was allowed in view of his age, the period of incarceration already undergone, and the Court’s finding that certain aspects of the medical evidence remain debatable.
A Division Bench of Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill and Justice Deepinder Singh Nalwa observed, “Additionally, we find that the applicant/appellant, as of today, is aged about 74 years and has undergone the substantive period of sentence, i.e., 10 years and 27 days. Given the fact that the husband as well as the mother-in-law of the deceased have not supported the case of the prosecution, we find it to be a fit case for suspending the sentence of the applicant/appellant during the pendency of the main appeal. The instant application, as such, is allowed, and it is ordered that the remaining sentence of imprisonment of the applicant/appellant shall remain suspended during the pendency of the appeal.”
Rampal was convicted by a Hisar court in October 2018 under Section 302, Section 343, and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code for the death of a woman follower inside the Barwala ashram in 2014. The trial court had sentenced him to life imprisonment along with other associates.
His petition before the High Court asserted that he had been falsely implicated. It highlighted medical evidence suggesting that the deceased had died of pneumonia and pointed out that her husband and mother-in-law had confirmed she was suffering from the illness for nearly a month before her death. Rampal also relied on grounds of parity, noting that thirteen co-accused had already been granted bail.
The State opposed the plea, arguing that women were unlawfully confined within the ashram in unhygienic and suffocating conditions, without proper food and accommodation, which led to the woman’s death.
Rampal’s arrest in 2014 followed a prolonged standoff when he defied High Court directions to appear in a contempt matter. Over 5,300 personnel from state and central forces were deployed, and the operation, spread over ten days, cost the State an estimated ₹26 crore. He was eventually arrested on November 19, 2014.
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