Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj, the head of Satlok Ashram in Haryana, has drawn renewed attention after videos showed him receiving devotees inside a glass-enclosed, air-conditioned cabin. In the video circulating online, followers are seen approaching him to touch his feet, a traditional gesture of respect. The arrangement has prompted discussions about the preacher and the devotion of his followers.
Rampal's life has taken several turns, from working as a government engineer to establishing a religious organisation and spending more than 11 years in prison in connection with the 2014 violence at his ashram. He was released in April 2026 after the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in a sedition case.
Born Rampal Singh Jatain on September 8, 1951, in Dhanana village in Haryana's Sonipat district, he trained in civil engineering at the Industrial Training Institute in Nilokheri, Karnal. He subsequently worked as a junior engineer in the Haryana government's Irrigation Department for around 18 years.
His association with the Kabir Panth began after he met Swami Ramdevanand, a Kabir Panthi saint, in the late 1980s. Rampal received spiritual initiation and began delivering religious lectures in the 1990s. He eventually left his government job to devote himself to preaching. He established an ashram in Rohtak, later shifting it to Barwala.
Rampal's teachings place Kabir at the centre of his religious philosophy. He claims that Kabir is the supreme God and the creator of the universe. His followers regard him as their Satguru, or spiritual guide, and seek his blessings and initiation
Rampal's ashram came under intense scrutiny following a violent confrontation at Satlok Ashram in Barwala in November 2014. Police had arrived to arrest him after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court in connection with a separate 2006 case. His supporters barricaded themselves inside the premises, leading to a prolonged standoff.
Six people including five women and an 18-month-old child died during the confrontation. Several police personnel and civilians were also injured. Rampal was arrested
In October 2018, Hisar court sentenced him and several associates to life imprisonment in connection with the deaths. The convictions and sentences were subsequently challenged. In August 2025, the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended his life sentence in two cases pending appeal. In April 2026, he was granted bail in a separate sedition case, paving the way for his release after more than 11 years in custody. The High Court directed him not to encourage mob mentality or participate in gatherings likely to disturb public order.
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