Violating a direction of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), some devotees of self- proclaimed god man Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Kumar Raul, on Friday trespassed into the Barimul-based Sarathi Ashram and observed Janmastami inside the ashram.
About 30-40 devotees opened the main temple hall along with one of the entrance gates and other rooms. They too made pana bhoga to celebrate the occasion.
Locals alleged that for the last six or seven months, some devotees have been visiting the Sarathi Ashram secretly and worshipping Sarathi. But neither the district administration nor the police are aware about the fact.
It seems once again law and order situation may arise here as locals protesting Sarathi Baba have expressed strong displeasure against the development and the soft-pedaling of the issue by the administration. The ashram properties of Sarathi, his son and the Satyam Charitable Trust were attached by the ED in its order dated 1.9.2017 in OC No 728/2017. All the immovable properties are in the possessions of the ED in terms of Section 8(4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It has also been displayed in an affixed notice board that trespassers will be prosecuted.
It may be noted here that on 27. 07. 2019, a three-member team of ED of Bhubaneswar, led by its Assistant Director Bijay Kumar Mishra and Enforcement Officer Rabi Kumar, had sealed ashram and set up the public board in front of the ashram.
Sarathi was released from Choudwar Circle Jail on July 25, 2019 after getting bail on July 17, 2019 in Crime Branch Case no-20/15 and SDJM Court GR case no-1062/15 under Sections 420, 120(b), 354, 506, 34 of IPC. The court had directed him not to influence witnesses and cooperate in the investigation process. This apart, he was prohibited from going to his ashram at Barimula.