Dikhyaa Mohanty 
A designated court in Cuttack has formally framed charges against self-styled godman Sarathi Baba, alias Santosh Roul, in connection with a case registered by the Crime Branch nearly a decade ago. The Special Court established under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (ADJ-3) took the step after reviewing evidence linked to Roul’s alleged involvement in criminal misconduct. Raul was arrested in August 2015 from his ashram in Kendrapara district following widespread allegations of cheating and exploiting people under the guise of religious and spiritual practices.
Investigators claim that Roul was accused of violating many provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act of 1959, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 by the Crime Branch. The matter will go to trial in the upcoming weeks now that charges have been filed.
