India, April 11 -- Rampal, a self-styled preacher and the head of Satlok Ashram in Haryana's Hisar district, walked out of jail this week after nearly 12 years in custody. Videos of his walk into his ashram have gone viral on Instagram since the Friday release, with followers, who call him Sant Rampal, seeing it as a "triumphant return". By Saturday, April 11, he'd held his first discourse after return too.

The 75-year-old's release came after the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in a 2014 sedition and violence case, citing his advanced age, prolonged incarceration, and the slow pace of trial.

Upon returning from jail, in his first 'satsang' or discourse, he spoke of his "fight against ignorance", which he claimed he had w...