After thrice escaping police clutches, self-styled godman held in Delhi

New Delhi: After thrice managing to escape the clutches of the police, a self-styled godman wanted in several cases in Punjab, including of murder and drug trafficking, was arrested from Rama Vihar in the Begumpur area here.

The accused has been identified as 43-year-old Satender alias Baba and is involved in cases of murder, attempt to murder, drug trafficking and cheating, said Rajiv Ranjan, DCP (Special Cell) of Delhi Police.

A resident of Gurdaspur, the accused had earlier served as a patwari with the Punjab government. He married twice and has three daughters and one son from his first wife, police said.

While in government service, Satender claimed to have gained "spiritual insight" and gradually became famous as a spiritual preacher.

During 2005 and 2006, he used to deliver religious discourses and sermons on TV channels. As his influence over his disciples grew, some of them even got their immovable properties transferred in his name, police said.

However, he was alleged to have cheated several persons in 2005 and three separate cases in this regard were lodged against him, leading to his arrest, they added.

He was also arrested in a case of causing hurt and attempt to murder, but during the trial -- which saw his wife and some others being convicted -- Satender succeeded in escaping from custody, police said.

He was, meanwhile, dismissed from service for misconduct.

According to police, while operating as a religious guru, he was alleged to have cheated a woman of Navashahar of several lakhs of rupees and was later accused of killing her in 2009.

A murder FIR was registered against him at Navashahar police station and he was again arrested. However, within a month, he again succeeded in escaping from the custody of Punjab Police while being taken to court.

As an absconder he stayed in Uttarkashi and Haridwar of Uttarakhand.

After evading arrest for about five years, Satender was again apprehended for possessing narcotics in Pathankot in October last year.

But after two months in jail, he managed to effect another dramatic escape from the custody of Punjab Police on December 25, 2014 and was absconding since then till his arrest here, police said.