Assault case: Orissa HC refuses bail to Sarathi again

The Orissa High Court today refused bail to self-styled godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul in a case of alleged assault and cheating of a girl and her mother.
The girl and her mother had lodged a complaint against Roul in October 2015, two months after he was arrested by Odisha Police for his alleged indulgence in criminal activities and cheating people by misusing religious and spiritual practices.
The self-styled godman was booked in another case of issuing threats to a woman medico, who was one of his followers.
The Supreme Court had already granted him bail in the woman medico case and the Orissa High Court had allowed his bail application in August after imposing stringent conditions.

He is still behind the bars as his bail application in the assault case was rejected by the apex court in February this year.
Roul had tried to secure bail in the case from the district court here on the grounds that the trial in the case has not yet begun. When the district court turned down his plea last month he had approached the high court.
Justice J P Das after hearing the bail plea of Roul today, rejected his application once again observing that there had been no change in the scenario after his bail was rejected by the apex Court eight months ago.