“The prosecution has frozen at least 30 bank accounts operated by the Godman and their total balance was pegged at over Rs 2.55 crore”
The crime branch of Odisha police on Thursday unearthed huge movable and immovable properties in the name of self-styled godman Santosh Roul alias Sarathi Baba. The investigating sleuths seized at least 50 property documents in the name of Satyam Charitable Trust that was floated by Roul in the name of his adopted son Satyam Roul, a crime branch official said.
While two plots in the name of the Trust have been detected in Balasore and Bhadrak districts, the Trust was in possession of 5.25 acres of land at different localities in the State, the official said. The prosecution has frozen at least 30 bank accounts operated by the Godman and their total balance was pegged at over Rs 2.55 crore, the official said.
The sleuths have also seized four vehicles in the name of the Trust and the crime branch entrusted a revenue official of the state to assess the cost of the landed properties registered in the name of the trust.
The official said at least 40 persons have now been examined by the investigating team in this connection. The cops are, however, not been able to trace the son of the godman, absconding ever since Roul was arrested last week.
Prasanta Patnaik