Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 18:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today grilled spiritual guru and founder of Prabhujee English Medium School Swami Shankarananda Giri here for over eight hours in connection with alleged dubious financial transactions and misappropriation of funds.

shankarananda giri

Giri was questioned by the Assistant Director and Joint Director of the law enforcement agency this morning and the marathon rounds of questioned continued for over eight hours, sources said.

The sleuths posed queries on the source of fundings (national and international), amount of funds received, financial transactions, income tax filings and investments among other things.

"I replied to questions asked by the ED officials. I cooperated with them," Swami Shankarananda Giri told reporters after questioning.

It may be recalled that a Danish national Allen Franklin Nielsen had filed a case at the Saheed Nagar police station in February 2010 against the self-proclaimed godman for allegedly duping him of crores assuring him of hefty returns. In September last year, Nielsen along with his counsel Laxminarayan Rayatsingh had submitted documents in support of their case.

The Danish national had lodged an FIR against Giri for carrying out illegal and immoral activities in the garb of spiritualism. He had accused the spiritual guru of defrauding him and threatening him with life when he demanded his money back.

The Danish had claimed that he had given 3, 20, 000 euros, approximately Rs 2 crore, in phases over the last 10 years (between 2000 and 2010) either through bank or in cash after the Swami convinced him that he would return double the amount in two years.

However, he returned only 58,000 euros till February 23, 2010 in some installments. Instead of paying back the rest amount, the Swami threatened him with dire consequences, he claimed.