Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Sep 3:

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) plans to investigate the dubious financial transactions of Swami Shankarnanda Giri of Kriya Yoga Ashram in the Odisha capital, who been accused of cheating and misappropriating about Rs 2 crore from a Danish national, a senior ED official said today.

shankarananda giri

The ED has taken suo-motu cognizance of the issue and has written to its higher officials headquartered in Kolkata aksing for permission to investigate into the matter.

A Danish national Allen Franklin Nielsen, along with his counsel Laxminarayan Rayatsingh, had submitted documents related to a case filed at the Saheed Nagar police station in 2010 yesterday.

The Danish national had lodged an FIR against Giri, the latest in a long list of self-proclaimed god men in the state to invite media spotlight in the recent past for carrying out illegal and immoral activities in the garb spiritualism, in February 2010 charging him of defrauding him and threatening him with life when he demanded his money back. But he said no action was taken by the police against the influential Baba.

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.

“Though police registered a case following my complaint, no action was taken against the influential godman for duping me of about 320,000 euro in phases,” he told media persons here yesterday.

He said the Swami had also signed an agreement with him in this regard but had not paid back the amount thus violating the terms of the agreement.

The Swami had returned only 58,000 euros till February 23, 2010 in some instalments. Instead of paying back the rest amount, the Swami threatened him with dire consequences, he added.

Allen said the Swami had been visiting his country since 1991 and teaching Kriya Yoga. Since he had faith in him he gave the money to the yogi who wanted it for running schools and building a temple in India.

Allen also alleged that instead of investing the money in the development of the school, the Swami had invested the money for purchasing property across the country and making a huge profit out of it.