HC raps Haryana govt for not arresting sect leader

Chandigarh:The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday directed Haryana Police to bring before it Friday contro-versial sect leader Rampal, after he again failed to appear before the court.
Defying non-bailable arrest warrants issued against him, Rampal again failed to appear before the court Monday. The Punjab and Haryana High Court Monday rapped the Har-yana government and the state police for failing to arrest Rampal and present him before the court.
Citing medical reasons through his counsel, Rampal did not appear before the high court again Monday.Hearing in the matter concerning contempt proceedings against the self-styled godman conti-nued Monday morning.
A division bench of the high court came down heavily on the Haryana government and the police for failing to bring the defiant sect leader before it. The court questioned the state government move to withdraw security forces and police from near the sect ashram near Barwala in Haryana.
A spokesman of the sect leader’s Satlok Ashram in Haryana’s Barwala town said Monday morning that Rampal was medically not fit to appear before the high court in Chandigarh.”His medical condition does not permit him to go out.
The HC last week direc-ted Haryana Police and state authorities to arrest and bring him Rampal before the court. The HC- bench said that Rampal should be “smoked out even if he is hiding in a bunker”. (PTI)