Eccentric? Self-styled ‘Godman’ Rampal’s devotees bathed him in milk, made kheer with it

Barwala (Hisar): Self-proclaimed ‘Godman’ Rampal managed to dodge police, state machinery for over two weeks, however was finally arrested. He was produced before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday in a contempt of court case and was sent to judicial custody.

For his followers he is nothing less than God, for law and order, a criminal in the cloak of a saint. Rampal, who has a sea of followers seem to have crossed levels all levels of insanity when it comes to literally ‘worshipping’ him.

He believes he is a reincarnation of Saint Kabir. According to reports, his followers bathed him in milky everyday and then used the same milk to make ‘kheer’ to distribute as an offering to devotees.

The two-judge bench posted the matter to November 28 with a direction to Haryana Police chief to file an affidavit giving details of the operation carried out to arrest Rampal from his ashram in Barwala in Haryana's Hisar district along with damages, injuries to people, regarding arms and ammunition in the Ashram and loss of property.

The 63-year-old controversial godman had failed to appear on November 5 in the 2006 murder case after which a non-bailable warrant to be executed by November 10 was issued by the High Court in the contempt case.

Haryana Police failed to produce Rampal on November 10 and the next date on November 17 after which the High Court slammed the police and issued a third non-bailable warrant with direction to produce the self proclaimed Godman on November 21.

The 12-acre ashram has now under the control of the state administration as all his followers have been evacuated.