Sarathi Baba released from jail after nearly four years

Self-styled godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul was released from Choudwar circle jail here on Thursday, officials said.

He was granted bail by the Orissa High Court on Monday. Roul was lodged in the jail ever since he was arrested from his Kendrapara Ashram in August 2015 by the state Crime Branch police.

"After receiving his release order from the SDJM court of Kendrapara and verifying the necessary documents, Santosh Roul was released from here at 7.20 pm," said Choudwar jail superintendent Pradeepta Kumar Behera.

Earlier in the day, the SDJM court in Kendrapara had completed the bail formalities of Roul after the bail bonds were produced by his lawyer as per the directions of the High Court.

He was granted bail against two local sureties of Rs two lakh each.

Sarathi Baba has been asked not to leave the state without the permission of the court. He has also been asked not to address or attend any public gatherings without prior permission from the court.

Sarathi Baba was first arrested for his indulgence in criminal activities and cheating people by misusing religious and spiritual practices.

The self-styled godman was subsequently booked in a case of issuing threats to a woman medico, who incidentally was his follower. The Supreme Court had granted him bail in the woman medico case while the High Court had granted him bail in the first case.

He was also booked in another case for cheating a woman and her mother of Barimula of Kendrapara, where the self-styled godman had set up an Ashram and allegedly duped hundreds of his followers by misusing religious practices.

The High Court granted him bail in the third case on Monday, thereby, clearing all legal impediments for him to be released from jail.

Although, the crime branch have submitted charge sheets in all the three cases pending against Sarathi Baba, the trials in these cases have not yet started.