'Godman' devoted hold off cops

Thousands of police fired tear gas and water cannons at devotees of Rampal Maharaj. Supporters of the 63-year-old "godman" have spent days guarding his sprawling compound in the town of Barwala, outside Hisar city, about 175 kilometers (110 miles) north of India's capital, New Delhi. Including police, the clashes have so far injured about 200 people.

"We had prior information that they had stones, petrol bombs, weapons, batons and sticks and acid pouches," Haryana police Director-General Shriniwas Vashisht told reporters in the state capital, Chandigarh. "The police tried to break down the wall of the ashram today because we believe that the people who are inside are not really supporters but are being used as human shields."

Police armed with sticks dragged away supporters and possible shields alike. Devotees described scenes of panic inside the building, with some saying that more senior supporters had stopped them from leaving as police moved in, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

"There are so many people still inside and the vast majority of them want to leave," one woman said on Tuesday.

'A private army'

In recent days, police have cut off water and electricity and blocked roads to prevent deliveries of food to the ashram in an effort to flush out the guru and his flock. Ambulances raced toward the ashram late Tuesday. Police have not yet located Maharaj but have surrounded the compound, vowing to continue the operation until his arrest.

"We have also given an ultimatum to those holed inside that they can come out if they want to," the police's Vashisht said on Tuesday. "They would be given a safe passage."

Police accuse Maharaj of ordering disciples to fire on villagers during 2006 clashes, killing one person and injuring scores. Since 2010, Rampal has ignored 43 court summonses, seeking exemptions.

The guru's counsel has cited ill health as a reason for his failures to appear. However, an official helping with the case has accused Maharaj of openly defying the court.

"Baba Rampal has raised a private army of supporters who are openly confronting with the police, the government and the administration," Anupam Gupta said. "He has openly proclaimed that he is above the law and judicial systems," the court-appointed mediator added.

Maharaj, formerly an engineer in the local sanitation department, follows the 15th-century mystic poet Kabir, who has many devotees in India and abroad.

Though many of India's gurus have proved politically or spiritually questionable, they have also attracted large followings. Sai Baba amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune before his death in 2011. Fasting against corruption that same year, Baba Ramdev drew accusations of political opportunism. Hugging saint Mata Amritanandamayi has proved less controversial.

mkg/es (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)