Crime Branch Raid on CA of Godman's Trust

The Crime Branch (CB) on Saturday searched the Kendrapara-based house and office of a Chartered Accountant (CA) who was engaged by Satyam Charitable Trust and collected documents to probe the financial transactions of self-styled godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Raula.

The agency is looking into the role of the board members as well as trustees of the Trust which own all the property of the godman’s ashram in Kendrapara’s Barimul and looks after the financial activities.

During the search, it seized a laptop and has been quizzing the Chartered Accountant. It also searched the house of one of the trustees and collected important documents.

The Chartered Accountant of Crime Branch will go through the financial documents and ascertain the accounting propriety.

Sources said, the probe agency has also found leads on the ‘gochar’ land encroached by the godman as well as other disputed land. The total value of the ashram property could run into several crores of rupees.

During a search at his ashram on Friday, the CB sleuths found a large volume of sarees. During the quizzing, Raula said, he used to gift saree with a gold ring to his female followers on the occasion of their marriage.

The self-proclaimed godman faced questions about his so-called magical powers during interrogation at Crime Branch headquarters on Saturday morning. He was even asked to produce ‘honey’ out of thin air, a trick which he used on his followers, but the godman kept quiet.

Given the collective public anger against him, the Choudwar Jail authorities have kept him in a separate cell and he was not allowed to mingle with other inmates of the prison.