Justifying police action on Satlok Ashram at Barwala in Hisar, Haryana Police have registered two more FIRs against Sant Rampal for taking innocent people hostage and inciting people to commit suicide.
DGP SN Vashisth said, “We initiated police action on a phone call from inside the ashram. The inmate claimed to have been taken as hostage”.
He said the person from ashram complained that several innocent people are being forcibly kept their without food or water. “We verified the call and started the operation to free all of them,” he said.He said the police waited for a long time. The police have to arrest Rampal, against whom fresh Non-Bailable Warrants were issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday.
“In the first phase, we tried to compel Rampal…..All roads leading to the Ashram were sealed …we cut the supply line of ration, water and also power to the ashram four days ago”, said Vashisth, adding, “We were patient. But he is using human shields there with two to three thousand women, children and even infants”, added the conspicuously angry DGP.
He said the police didn’t want to hurt the innocent people but some of them, who claim to the guards of Rampal, threw petrol bombs, acid pouches and stones on the police force.DGP said those people were trained by the supporters of Rampal, some of whom are retired police and Army personnel.Vashisth said police recovered 10 spent cartridges. Police claimed that there are several licensed or illegal country made weapons including guns of 315 bore, pistols and revolvers in the ashram.
The DGP also said 50 youths also tried to self immolate on the spot on Tuesday by pouring diesel on themselves.Water cannon was used on them to stop this nuisance, but when they started pelting stones and petrol bombs, they were cane charged. “Extreme restraint was shown by the security forces in this operation”, said Sanjeev Kaushal, principle secretary to the Chief Minister in the press conference.
On attack on media persons, Haryana DGP said that state Police was committed to ensure the safety and security of media persons. Describing media as allies, he said Haryana Police took along the media while conducting such a sensitive operation. ‘We have nothing to hide; we want media on our side so that the world knows what the truth is. Which is why we had granted permission to 86 media persons to cover the operation,” he added.
He assured that the moment the operation is over, an independent inquiry would be conducted into the unfortunate incident with the media persons during the operation at Satlok Ashram. Appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty, he added.
Urging the media to cover this entire police operation in a true spirit, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Principal Secretary, Information, Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Department Sanjeev Kaushal said that media persons whose equipment have been damaged due to this unfortunate incident would be suitable compensated.