Barwala: Efforts to arrest self- styled ‘godman’ Rampal, who is holed up in his ashram here, will continue, police said here on Wednesday after suspending the operation overnight following clashes between his supporters and security personnel that left over 200 people injured.

The operation was halted on Tuesday evening to enable Rampal’s followers to come out of Satlok Ashram here in Hisar and leave for their homes. Some women and children came out of the ashram during the night and were in the process of returning to their homes, they said.

Security personnel would continue their operation till Rampal is brought out of the ashram and produced before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against him in a contempt case, police said.

Clashes broke out yesterday leaving over 200 people, including security and media personnel, injured, as efforts to arrest him were met with stiff resistance by his supporters who allegedly fired at the police and lobbed ‘petrol bombs’.

Police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse Rampal’s supporters. Tension mounted as supporters of Rampal refused to heed to repeated announcements by the police over loud speakers to allow them to enter the premises to arrest him.

Police alleged that Rampal had kept the followers hostage in the ashram. The 63-year-old ‘godman’ was to appear before the High Court yesterday but he did not do so, with his counsel saying he was “unwell”.

The High Court then issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against him and asked the authorities to present him on Friday.

However, the ashram spokesman had said that “Sant Rampal was not running away from law. We have already said that he will present himself before the court as soon as his health improves. But authorities can’t use force to hunt him down”.

Rampal has cited health reasons for not appearing before the High Court on November 5 and 10.

Some disciples who managed to come out from the ashram claimed that “thousands” of people were inside the premises and a vast majority of them wanted to leave immediately but were being prevented by lathi-wielding supporters of the ‘godman’.

Hisar: The scenes outside self-styled ‘godman’ Baba Rampal’s Satlok Ashram in Haryana’s Hisar town resemble a war zone as his supporters have indulged in clashes with police.

There are indications that hundreds of people have been detained by Baba Rampal’s ‘private army’ in the ashram. They have been using women and children as human shields.

With the situation worsening, Ministry of Home Affairs stepped in and sought a report from the state government.

In wake of the rising tension in Hisar, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has called an emergency meet to discuss the situation. Security has been beefed up in capital Chandigarh where Haryana Police and CRPF troops are guarding the Secretariat and High Court.

“We are committed to follow the orders of High Court,” said Shrinivas Vashisht, DGP, Haryana. He refuted charges that the media persons were heckled with, adding that the police has been fully co-operating with them. “We do not want to stop media from covering. We have cooperated with media. I have been informed that a media person has been attacked by police, once the operation is over, we will act on that,” said Shrinivas.

With Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday giving the government time till Friday to produce Rampal in contempt of court case, authorities have been asking the devotees in and around the Satlok Ashram to disperse and help them comply with court order.

Some disciples who managed to come out from the ashram premises on Tuesday claimed that “thousands” of people were inside and most of them wanted to leave but were being prevented by lathi-wielding supporters of the ‘godman’ from leaving. A large number of women and children, are among those who are still inside the Satlok Ashram, they claimed.

A woman follower, aged around 40, who identified herself as Kusum from Uttar Pradesh, said she somehow managed to come out from inside the Ashram today. “I forced my way out. There are scores of people still inside,” she said.

Another middle-aged woman follower, who came out from the Ashram, said “I am from Dadri. There are so many people still inside and vast majority of them want to leave. But they are not being allowed to leave.”

When asked who was putting pressure on them to stay back, a woman follower from Aligarh told reporters that, “I forced my way out. People are facing difficulty in getting food and water. But some men carrying lathis told us to stay back and tried to prevent us from leaving. They told us that the (court) decision will soon come and everything will be alright. We persisted that we wanted to leave and then we came out in a group”.

Rampal has been charged with interfering in judicial proceedings during the hearing of a case in the Hisar sessions court. On July 15, his supporters had marched inside the district court complex in Hisar and tried to create trouble in the court proceedings.

The HC took cognisance of the case and issued notices to Rampal and the state government.

(With inputs from PTI)