Odisha godman Sarathi Baba appears before court

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Dec 3:

Self-styled godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raul was today produced before Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Odisha’s Cuttack pertaining to a sexual harassment case filed by an unmarried girl.

The godman was produced before the court in connection with the complaint filed by the erstwhile woman inmate of his Barimul ashram in Kendrapara district.

Notably, a three-member team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided controversial godman’s Barimul ashram yesterday.

The self-proclaimed Baba has been cooling his heels in the Choudwar Circle Jail ever since his arrest on August 8, 2015. He was embroiled in controversies concerning his stay with a young woman medico in a Hyderabad-based hotel and several other cases.

He was booked under section 120-B, 420, 467, 341, 379 and 506 of IPC along with Section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Section 25 of Arms Act and Section 7 of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act.