Rampal: Self-styled godman’s journey from a ‘sarkari sewak’ to jailed baba

Before switching to the money-spinning role of a spiritual master, murder convict and the self-styled godman Rampal Dass was a humble ‘sarkari sewak’ earning his bread and butter as junior engineer (JE) in Haryana’s irrigation department.

Born on September 8, 1951 at Dhanana village of Gohana in Sonepat in a family of farmers, Rampal had a religious inclination since childhood.

Having obtained a diploma from Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Nilokheri of Karnal district, he served as a JE for over 15 years, before quitting in May 1995.

The big break in his otherwise low-profile career as JE had come in 1994 when he came in contact of a Kabir Panthi saint. Shortly after this meeting, Rampal re-christened himself as ‘Sant Rampal ji Maharaj’ promising ‘salvation’.

In 1995, he set up Satlok Ashram of the Kabir Panthi sect. Within a short span, the now jailed godman’s followers doubled- and he went on to spread his ‘spiritual empire’ in Jhajjar and Rohtak.

Beginning of legal trouble

His first brush with controversy was in 2006 when the ‘godman’, by then famous for his luxurious lifestyle and huge following, used foul language against Arya Samaj. His diatribe triggered violent clashes in which one man was killed.

This clash was the beginning of his legal troubles. The trial court on Tuesday awarding him life sentence in one murder case is just a trailer of his legal tangles. Rampal was arrested along with his followers on murder charges and was released on bail in 2008.

In 2014, after a tense stand-off with police, he was forced to surrender. His followers were used as a human shield to prevent his arrest at his ashram in Hisar. This was despite the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking his custody in a contempt matter.

Rampal had even resisted a police operation for his arrest on the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders. He had even refused to appear in the high court to reply to charges like contempt of court. He had holed himself up inside his ashram.

That was the level of his high headedness.

When police went to arrest him, Rampal’s supporters attacked the police with petrol bombs and acid pouches in a bid to prevent the cops from arresting their ‘maharaj’. Five women and a child had died during the stand-off.

Finally, he was arrested following a police operation. Since then he has been cooling his heels in the prison—away from his ashram that had facilities akin to the high-end luxury hotels.