POST NEWS NETWORK
Jeypore, Nov 5: Self-proclaimed godman Tophani Baba alias Tophan Kumar Mohanty had established his ashram at Sauragauda village under Sadar police limits here in Koraput district over 24 acre of encroached land out of which 20 acre belonged to a tribal.
The matter came to fore after revenue officials conducted a measurement of the ashram land Thursday in the wake of a joint raid by forest department and police officials the previous day on the charge of large scale irregularities. During the raid, the officials had rescued several wild animals besides seizing cash, ornaments, weapons and some objectionable material from the ashram premises. The Baba fled in a car with a bear before the raid.
Forest officials said the wild animals rescued from the ashram will be released in natural surroundings. The animals were produced in a court in the afternoon.
Two porcupines and three civet cats will be sent to Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar while a barking deer will released in a deer park at Papdahandi of Nabarangpur district, forest officials said. Two wild boars, a monkey and four birds will be released in nearby forests.
Locals claimed the Baba who was unheard of a few years back acquired prominence in the area within a short period. He had established a large ashram in the area and used to fleece gullible people of their earnings on the pretext of curing them of their illnesses.
