Rohtak administration gets disputed ashram vacated

Scores of followers of controversial godman Rampal were Wednesday moved out of the Satlok Ashram at Karontha village near this Haryana town by the district administration to maintain law and order in the area.

The Rohtak district administration had Tuesday ordered the ashram management to vacate the premises. Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Vikas Gupta and district police chief Vivek Sharma were present when the premises was vacated.

"Nearly 3,000 followers of the godman were asked to leave the premises," an officer of the district administration said.

The area around Karontha village saw widespread violence Sunday against the re-opening of the controversial ashram. The violence left three people dead and over 120 others injured as supporters of the Arya Samaj (Arya Pratinidhi Sabha) clashed with police.

They were opposing the re-opening of the ashram, which had been shut down in 2006 following violence. The ashram head, Rampal, a self-styled godman, had been criticising the Arya Samaj in recent years.

However, even after the ashram was vacated, Arya Samaj members demanded that it be demolished. They refused to end their protest till the authorities razed the ashram to the ground.