Sarathi Baba to file libel in Odisha HC against puja pandals

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 21:

Disgraced self-proclaimed godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul will file libel in Odisha High Court against his satirical depiction in puja pandals, informed his counsel Manas Chand.

Chand told our sister concern leading television news channel Kanak News on Tuesday that he has been asked by his client Sarathi Baba to file writ petition in the High Court against organizers of different puja pandals, producer of Odia film ‘Rangila Baba’ and producers of audio CDs etc. for depicting him in bad light to gain cheap publicity.

“Since Sarathi Baba is in jail some people with vested interests have depicted him in bad light in tableaux in puja pandals for Dusherra and produced different songs and a film called ‘Rangila Baba’ purely for vested interest. My client is in jail his trial is yet to be complete. Such depiction is in violation of law. We have collected video footages from different puja pandals. Using these as evidence we will file a case against these people in the High Court after it resumes on completion of puja vacation. The producers of the film Rangila Baba have depicted visuals of my client’s Barimul ashram, his pictures in the film. We will file criminal and civil cases against them and a defamation suit against them,” stated Chand to Kanak News.

We will contend in the court that this has been done without taking my client’s permission and with intent to defame him, said Chand.

“This is being done for cheap publicity. You don’t have the right to call somebody ‘bhanda’ (fraud). It is only the court of law which can do so. You cannot judge somebody in such manner as a judge does. It’s not proper to use a person for making your pandal attractive. The investigation against him is not yet over. After that he will be tried and only then it is the court which can say that whether he has cheated or not cheated anyone. The public doesn’t have any right to judge somebody before that. These are being done to get cheap publicity and gain some profits. Anyone doing so is liable both under criminal and civil law,” Sarathi Baba’s counsel told Kanak News.

Sarathi Baba who was arrested by the Crime Branch after being picked up by it from his ashram at Barimula in Kendrapara district in the wee hours on August 8 is currently lodged at the Choudwar circle jail after being refused bail by the court in a myriad of cases.