Supreme Court rejects bail plea of Sarathi

Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court today refused to grant bail to self-styled godman Sarathi alias Santosh Raul in connection with harassment of a woman and her daughter at an ashram in Barimula, Kendrapara.

The girl and her mother had lodged a complaint against Sarathi in October 2015, two months after he was arrested by Odisha Police.

The Supreme Court had rejected Sarathi's bail plea in the same case earlier as well.

Sarathi was arrested on August 7, 2015 by Odisha police on charges of cheating public and sexual exploitation of women.

Later, Crime Branch had found that the self-styled godman had amassed properties worth crores of rupees. The sprawling ashram at Barimula founded by Sarathi in Kendrapara district was officially evaluated at Rs 4.48 crore.

The investigating agency had seized 10 kg silver, 55 kg metal lockets bearing Sarathi's picture, two swords, CDs containing his publicity materials, bank and land documents from his ashram in Barimula.

Currently, the self-styled godman is lodged at Choudwar Circle Jail in Cuttack.