The hearing of the third case against self-proclaimed godman Sarathi Baba alias Santosh Roul concluded in the Orissa High Court on Wednesday.
The Bench headed by Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo reserved its verdict in the case pertaining to alleged sexual exploitation of a woman and her daughter at Sarathi Baba’s ashram at Barimul in Kendrapada district. If his bail plea is accepted, he would be released from jail, sources said.
Earlier, a two-member Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had rejected Sarathi’s bail plea in the same case last year.
Notably, Sarathi Baba was arrested by the Crime Branch on August 8, 2015 from his ashram on the charges of sexual exploitation of women and cheating his devotees. Following his arrest, a woman and her daughter had complained that he had exploited them both sexually and physically apart from defrauding them of their gold ornaments and money.
Sarathi Baba is presently lodged at the Choudwar Circle Jail in Cuttack district.
