Haryana police to carry out search at Rampal's ashram in MP

The ashram is where his commandos were reportedly recruited, trained and sent to Hisar in Haryana

A team of Haryana police has arrived in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district to conduct a search at an under-construction ashram of arrested 'self-styled' godman Rampal, where his commandos were reportedly recruited, trained and sent to Hisar in Haryana.

"A team of Haryana police, comprising a sub-inspector, a head constable and a constable, arrived in Betul last evening. The team will go through the land records of the ashram today and carry out searches at the godman's property tomorrow," Betul SP Sudhir Laad told PTI over phone.

He said that they had sent a detailed report last week along with a video of ashram to Madhya Pradesh police headquarters, which in-turn forwarded it to Haryana police.

Rampal's under-construction ashram is spread over an area of 66 acres on State Highway 69, Laad said.

The godman had 30 to 40 disciples in Betul, he said, adding that his followers from other parts of the state used to come to his ashram.

After his arrest, there was no one in the ashram, he said.

The ashram in Betul is 10 kms away from the district headquarters, police said adding that it has a huge shed to accommodate 50,000 people.

Video CDs containing the controversial godman's sermons were played in the ashram which now wears a deserted look after his arrest.

Some houses and a broad approach road, two water treatment plants on ponds have already come up in the ashram, police said adding that the construction work of the ashram is going on for last 3-4 years.

Rampal had reportedly told the Haryana police that his commandos were recruited and trained by his son and one other relative in MP's Betul district.

The godman was arrested on November 19 from his ashram at Barwala in Haryana in a contempt of court case and later remanded in police custody by a court in Hisar after fresh cases were slapped on him.