A self -styled godman of Sundargarh is still at large along with his associates and the police have been searching for them for the last many days. The baba is accused of land grab and cheating.
As per the order of Sundargarh district administration, a team of revenue officials has started a land demarcation process since October 9. The controversial godman Dola Baba’s ashram in Bandojharia village under the lephripara police station limits is said to have encroached both Government and private land of hundreds of acres. The Revenue team reportedly has confirmed encroachment of land.
Sources said Dolamani Patel, who works as a Government teacher in lephripara girls high school had reportedly lured the villagers of Bandhjharia and Satjharia with a proposal of developing an Ayurveda hospital in their locality and had purchased about two acres of land from them at a nominal price during 2003. Thereafter, Patel had developed an Ashrman on that plot and had allegedly converted himself a self styled god man.
He had slowly grabbed the neighboring lands of his plot and went on to acquire above one hundred acres of land in that locality.
Resentment sparked recently among locals, when they knew of the evil motive of the Baba. Tehsildar, lepripada, Punam Binita Bage said, “We have done the demarcation of private land and our demarcation work is in progress on Government land there. The details of the encroachment would be established after completion of demarcation.”