Arrested godman Sarathi Baba says he is victim of conspiracy

Cuttack: Arrested self-proclaimed godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul has alleged that he has been framed and is a victim of a conspiracy.

Roul alleged that he was being tortured ever since his arrest on August 8 and attempts were now being made to turn him insane.

"I am  victim of a conspiracy. Conspiracies are now also being hatched to make me mad. I am being punished and subjected to torture for nearly two months by restricting me in a solitary cell and not allowing anybody to meet me", Roul said.

" For the first time in two months I am seeing people and hearing them now", he said while being escorted back to jail after his hearing in a local court here yesterday.

It is not known whether Santosh brought all these complaints to the notice of the magistrate as his counsel refused to comment about the statements given by his client to the media outside the court premises.

 Santosh was arrested by the state crime branch police on August 8 after he was brought for questioning to the police headquarters here from his Barimul Ashram in Kendrapara district.

 Booked under a separate case on charges of extortion, criminal intimidation, intent to injure, criminal conspiracy in furtherance of common intention brought by a woman medico, Santosh was produced before the SDJM court here for recording his statements under section 164 of CrPC.

 Since Santosh's counsel had made an application before the magisterial court for simultaneous examination of his client in the case registered upon the allegations made by the woman medico, he was produced in the court for recording his statements.

 The court remanded him to judicial custody fixing October 13 for next hearing on the matter.

 The woman medico, who had 'accompanied' arrested self-styled godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul to a hotel in Hyderabad in August this year, lodged an FIR against Baba alleging that she received threats from him.