20 arrested as followers resist fresh eviction drive on Bana Baba ashram

Konark: The Puri district administration on Friday started a demolition drive at self-styled godman Bana Baba’s ashram built illegally on forest land near Konark.

Sources said the Kali temple and the havan kund constructed in the ashram premises had been demolished by noon.

The demolition drive, however, faced stiff resistance as hundreds of supporters of the godman, including women, staged a dharna and clashed with the police forcing the cops to arrest as many as 20 people, including 10 women.

As many as 11 platoons of forces have been deployed and Section 144 imposed in the area in apprehension of further tension.

The demolition drive is being carried out in the presence of Puri deputy collector, additional SP, three DSPs and senior officials of the Forest Department.

Notably, Bana Baba alias Kalki Baba alias Banambara Moharana initially built his ashram on 10 acres of forest land back in 1999. Later, the periphery of the hermitage was extended to 19.60 acres of forest land and 30 decimals of revenue land as per findings of the Revenue Department.

Even though the ashram was evicted on September 5, 2015 following media reports, his devotees had reoccupied the land and the building again on May 13.