Charge sheet filed against Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raoul

Kendrapara: Four months after the arrest of Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raoul, the crime branch

of Odisha Police filed a charge sheet against the controversial self-proclaimed godman.

The crime branch filed the charge sheet before the court of Kendrapara Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) yesterday in connection with a case registered against Sarthi Baba on August 18.

Later SDJM Pritish Kumar Routray rejected the bail application moved by Sarathi.

The controversial godman, now in jail, is facing trial under IPC sections- 354 (outraging the modesty of woman), 120(B) (conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) after a woman from Haladidiha village near here had lodged complaint against him alleging that Sarathi and his aide Sarat Patra had outraged her modesty.

On August 7, the self-styled 'godman' had been arrested by the crime branch from his ashram in Barimula on outskirts of Kendrapara town under section 420 (cheating), 467 (Forgery), 468 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 471 Forgery for purpose of cheating), 506 criminal intimidation), 321 (Voluntarily causing hurt) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act.

The ashram founded by Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raula (now in jail) in Odisha's Kendrapara district has been officially evaluated at Rs 4.48 crore.

The ashram has now turned into temporary police barrack with armed police keeping vigil over it. The sprawling ashram stretching across 2.47 acre in Barimula village on the outskirts of Kendrapara district Headquarters Township is equipped with a furnished guest house.

Crime branch had also sealed the accounts of Sarathi Baba and his Satyam charitable trust in the State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Punjab National Bank and United Bank and Urban Cooperative Bank at Kendrapara.