Bizodisha Bureau, Cuttack, August 8, 2015 : Three day drama surrounding the self-styled ‘Godman’ Sarathi Baba is now over. The Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) on Saturday allowed the Odisha Crime Branch to take the ‘Baba’ on three-day remand from Sunday.

The Crime Branch of Odisha police picking him up from his ashram at Barimula in Kendrapara district in the wee hours on Saturday and brought him to Cuttack where he was arrested.

The court rejected the bail petition of Sarathi alias Santosh Raul, remanded him to judicial custody. Sarathi was sent to Choudwar Circle Jail.

The police brought Sarathi from the Crime Branch headquarter with tight security and produced in the court at about 4 PM.

The irate people gathered in front of the court threw shoes and slippers at the Baba. Even some were seen trying to pull his hair while he was entering into the vehicle.

The court rejected the bail plea of Baba’s counsel Manas Ray who pleaded that there was no basis in the allegation against his client.

Earlier in the day, the six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch had a marathon interrogation of Sarathi Baba at the Crime Branch headquarter.

Crime Branch additional director general B K Sharma told media that charges have been slapped against the Baba under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery with the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine forged document), 341 (wrongful confinement) 506 (criminal intimidation), 379 (theft) of the IPC and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (offences of atrocities against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes).

“Two swords have been also seized from the ashram premises. On the basis of the seizure, section 25 of the Arms Act (acquisition, possession, manufacture, sale, import, export and transport of arms and ammunition) has been slapped on the Baba. Since the ashram was misused by keeping these swords, the Baba has been arrested under section 7 of Religious Institutions Prevention of Misuse Act, 1988,” Sharma added.

Besides bank and property documents, 15 kgs of silver, 54.1 grams of gold, cash worth Rs 2.28 lakh and 55 kgs of metal coins having the photo of the Baba have been seized during the search carried out by the Crime Branch team in the ashram, he revealed.

He said steps have been taken to seal the bank accounts of the Baba and his ashram. Besides, the Baba’s passport has also been seized, he added.

On the orders of chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, a special inquiry team comprising an Additional SP and three officers on Friday had gone to Baba’s ashram at Barimula in Kendrapara district.
The four-member Crime Branch team grilled him for nearly 14 hours and found clinching proof of huge wealth amassed by the Baba and sexual exploitation of women.

The team, during its investigation, found conclusive evidence of blackmailing of young women with their nude photos taken by cameras hidden in bathrooms of the lodge inside the ashram. CCTV camera footage and the mobile phones of Sarathi and his associates have also been seized by the sleuths.