Sarathi Baba arrested, ‪Crime Branch takes him on remand

Santosh Raul alias Sarathi Baba arrested by the Crime Branch of Odisha police after 6-member SIT team quizzed him at its Head Quarter in Cuttack, said probe agency’s ADG BK Sharma in press meet.

Crime Branch additional SP filed FIR against Sarathi. Sections 420, 467, 468, 741 of IPC registered against Baba. Case also registered under Section 321, 120-B of IPC and 25-Arms Act.

Sarathi Baba forwarded to court today. Cuttack SDJM rejected bail plea of Sarathi Baba and allowed Crime Branch to take him on a 3-day remand.

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Before being produced before the court, a sea of crowd assembled there raised slogans against the godman and police personnel had to perspire for maintaining law and order.

Enraged public flung shoes on the court van, hit the glass pane and demanded that the culprit should be hanged.

BJP demands for a court-monitored probe into the matter, arrest of former Kendrapara SP Satish Gajbhiye. BJP will support All ‪‎Odisha‬ Lawyers’ Association strike against police excesses, says K V Singhdeo.

The gross failure of the Intelligence wing, particularly the Kendrapara district intelligence bureau (DIB) has come to the fore after the wrongdoings of self-styled god man Sarathi Baba came to the fore.

As far as the investigation into the scandal goes, it was revealed that Baba was involved in various unsavoury works at his Barimula-based Srimad Sarathi Ashram.

But neither the police administration nor the district intelligence wing discharge their duties properly untill the matter was exposed by PrameyaNews7.

After the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a Crime Branch probe responding to News7 expose and state wide outrage over the fraud Sarathi issue on Thursday evening, Crime Branch reached Barimul ashram in Kendrapara and continued day and night interrogation.

Latter the fraud master was taken to custody and transported to Cuttack.

Emotions are going high throughout the state when the the cheater would be formally arrested.

Security has been beefed up at the State Crime Branch headquarters after controversial spiritual guru Sarathi baba brought to the agency head office.

Three platoons of security forces has been deployed in and around the ashram to avert any Kendrapara like law and order situation.

The Cuttack Mahila police on Saturday recorded the statement of Rojalin Mallick, who accompanied the controversial Sarathi Baba in a hotel in Hyderabad, a day after she lodged a complaint at the Mangalabag police station seeking police protection.

Sources said the Mahila police station IIC herself recorded the statement of Mallick.