Bhubaneshwar: The crime branch of Odisha police has claimed to have unearthed startling facts from controversial godman Srimad Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raul with regard to his alleged immoral activities as well as accumulation of huge assets by deceitful means.
The godman, who was arrested on Saturday, claimed himself as incarnation of Lord Krishna and wanted his devotees, mainly women followers, to love him as gopis.
In the line of the rituals of Puri’s Jagannath temple, Sarathi Baba’s ashram too designed some rituals, like Anant Sayan or deep sleep on a specially designed cot fitted with a wooden seven-hood snake decorated with gold and silver ornaments.
After the devotees leave the ashram at around 11 pm, Sarathi Baba would recline in his restroom and asked his confidants to let in the women devotees who desired to perform the gupta seva or secret ritual. These women were gifted with designer dresses, sarees and gold and silver ornaments, sources in the CB said.
In fact, the CB has seized a huge cache of clothes and ornaments during the raid on the ashram in Barimul in Kendrapara district. On Tuesday, the crime branch officials questioned Sarathi Baba mainly on his financial transactions and land deals. The cyber cell of the crime branch also examined the income tax documents of Sarathi Baba.
The CB officials said they would move the court seeking to take Sarathi Baba on remand of five more days for further questioning.
