A three-member Enforcement Directorate (ED) team led by Assistant Director Sibaji Rout on Friday swooped down on the Sarathi Ashram at Barimula in Kendrapada district to make an assessment of the properties of the ashram.
The ED sleuths quizzed the inmates of the Ashram including the mother of the baba. The sleuths questioned about the sources of income of Sarathi, management of funds along with making valuation of the property of the Ashram that were not sealed earlier by the Crime Branch (CB), said official sources.
It may be noted here that the ED team had earlier registered a case under Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMlA) against Sarathi and on March 2016, they had grilled him at Choudwar jail, where he is lodged following his arrest on August 8, 2015.
According to police sources, the ED personnel questioned Sarathi’s mother and the stewards about the offences related to money laundering alleged against Sarathi baba alias Santosh Roul.
Earlier, the Roads and Building( R&B) Department had provided the property valuation report of Sarathi Ashram to the Crime Branch. As per the report it has been assessed that the Ashram’s property, excluding Sarathi temple’s four gates and
|sculptures, worth would be of `4,48 crore.
While , the main building located at the Ashram premises is `1.18 crore , the library building is `69.25 lakh , the three storied lodge worth is `94.33 lakh, the inquiry and reception counter building has been valued at `17.05 lakh, the old prabachan pandal, new prabachan pandal’s worth is 42.25 lakh , th the compound wall’s worth is `27.55 lakh and the courtyard along with the parking place of the Ashram has been estimated `79.71 lakh ,informed official sources.