‘Yoga guru' who returned from Goa to set up ashram in Chhattisgarh arrested, police say 2 kg weed found
A 45-year-old self-proclaimed yoga guru, who recently returned from Goa and set up an ashram in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, has been arrested for allegedly possessing nearly 2 kilograms of cannabis after allegations emerged that drugs were being peddled on the premises. The accused had returned after spending a decade in Goa, where he ran 'The Krantis', teaching what he called Kranti Yoga to many, including foreigners.
The accused, Tarun Kranti Agrawal alias Sonu, recently purchased a property spanning 5 acres of land near the Pragya Giri hills, located barely two kilometres from the Dongargarh temple, also a popular tourist destination.
A few months later, Kanti began construction work to set up an ashram on the premises. However, earlier this month, the local Dongargarh police started receiving complaints about drugs allegedly being served on the premises to minors and tourists. According to the police, it was also alleged that some youngsters at the place were carrying knives.
'We received information about unlawful activities taking place on the premises, after which we raided the place on June 25. We found 1.993 kg of cannabis in his possession. He was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded to judicial custody. We suspect he was selling drugs on the premises,' said the Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police, Mohit Garg.
Agrawal's parents are businessmen, and he is a native of Dongargarh. He left his home two decades ago, police said.
'Agrawal claimed before us (the police) that he has visited many countries and runs 10 NGOs. We will be seizing his passport, and we have received information about a few NGOS that he is referring to. We will check the activities of these organisations,' said an official.
Agrawal has been booked under section 20 B (produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or uses cannabis) of the NDPS Act.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Three arrested for illegal Ganja transportation in Kakinada
KAKINADA: The Sarpavaram Police have arrested three accused persons involved in illegal transportation, possession, and consumption of a commercial quantity of 23 kilograms of Ganja. Challa Naga Siva Manikanta, native of Kakinada Urban, Maddala Udaya Kumar, native of Kakinada Rural And Yenugupalli Raju, native of Kakinada Rural mandal were arrested. The police have registered under sections Section 8(c) r/w 20 (b) (ii) (C) of NDPS Act, 1985 and Section 111(2) (b) of BNS. Friday, acting on credible information, a police team led by SI Sri P Srinivas Kumar conducted a raid at 3-402/10/3, Vasantha Nagar, Sarpavaram Village around 09:00 AM. The three accused persons were found in illegal possession of Ganja stored in white plastic bags Upon search. A total of 23 KGs of Ganja was seized, which is classified as commercial quantity under the NDPS Act. A Maruti Swift Dzire car (Reg. No. AP 39 GT 4682) used in transporting the contraband was also seized. The accused confessed to procuring Ganja from Dharakonda for illegal sale. All three accused have an extensive criminal history involving murder, theft, burglaries, and NDPS cases across multiple police stations including Kakinada II Town, Sarpavaram, Indrapalem, Peddapuram, Tuni, Annavaram, Rajanagaram, and Draksharamam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo They have repeatedly committed offences for illegal financial gain. Verification of their criminal records confirms their active involvement in organized crime syndicates and they pose a serious threat to public peace and safety. In view of their organized and repeated criminal involvement, Section 111(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has also been invoked in addition to the NDPS charges. The arrested persons have been remanded to judicial custody. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the absconding person.
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Supreme Court to examine if verdict requiring probe agency to give accused written grounds of arrest will apply retrospectively
The Supreme Court on Friday (June 27, 2025) decided to examine if its October 2023 judgment requiring the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide accused persons with grounds of arrest in writing will have retrospective application and include offences under the Indian Penal Code within its ambit. A Bench of Justices K.V. Viswanathan and N. Kotiswar Singh issued notice on the petition filed by the State of Karnataka, which had sought a clarification if the judgment in the case of Pankaj Bansal versus Union of India, which mandated the written communication of grounds of arrest to an accused, would have retrospective effect. The apex court, subsequent to the Pankaj Bansal judgment, had extended the requirement to cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case filed by NewsClick founder and senior journalist Prabir Purkayastha last year. On Friday, the Bench said the issue raised by Karnataka was already reserved for judgment in another case, Mihir Rajesh Shah versus State of Maharashtra, in April. The Bench suggested waiting for the judgment in this case, adding that it would shed greater clarity on the question of law. The State had appealed to the Supreme Court against a Karnataka High Court decision in April quashing the arrest of a murder accused on the ground that the reasons for his arrest were not shared with him by the police in writing. The High Court had applied the Pankaj Bansal judgment retrospectively. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Karnataka, objected to the High Court's reasoning, arguing that the Pankaj Bansal judgment had itself said its application was to be with prospective effect. However, Justice Viswanathan pointed out that Pankaj Bansal judgment itself had been applied retrospectively by quashing an arrest which had, in fact, already taken place. The Bench questioned the State's take that the judgment would only have prospective effect. The court listed the case on July 18, after the court reopens following summer vacation.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Six journalists booked by Varanasi Police, charged with spreading misinformation
Police in Varanasi have filed an FIR against six journalists on charges of inciting unrest and spreading misinformation through social media posts, officials said on Friday. The six journalists have been charged under various sections of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act.(Pixabay/representational) The complaint, registered at the Lanka police station, alleges that the journalists shared a video of a statue being cleaned and used it to incite communal sentiment. The action has triggered a political backlash, with the Congress condemning it as an attack on the freedom of the press. According to Lanka Station House Officer (SHO) Shivakant Mishra, two employees of the Public Works Department (PWD) were cleaning the statue of Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya located near the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) gate on the night of June 25. Mishra said a video of the cleaning process was recorded and shared online by some journalists, who allegedly used caste-based commentary to provoke hatred and disrupt law and order. The FIR was filed based on a complaint by the Sankat Mochan police outpost in-charge. The accused include Arshad (admin of 'Khabar Banaras'), Abhishek Jha, Abhishek Tripathi, Sonu Singh, Shailesh and an X (formerly Twitter) user Nitin Rai. They have been booked under Sections 356(3) (publication of defamatory material), 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups) and Section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act. The journalists have denied any wrongdoing, stating that their job is to highlight developments, good or bad, for the administration to take note of. "If something wrong happens in the city, it is our responsibility to report it," one of the accused said. Reacting sharply, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai issued a statement condemning the FIR. "Filing a case against journalists for questioning a viral video of someone climbing Malaviya Ji's statue is deeply unfortunate. The BJP government won't act against the guilty, but those who raise questions will be treated as criminals," Rai said. Calling the move cowardly, Rai added, "This government cannot tolerate a mirror being shown to its face. That is why it is punishing those who speak the truth. But the Congress will not tolerate the humiliation of journalists." He demanded that the "real culprits" be punished and the "false cases" against journalists be withdrawn immediately, affirming that the Congress stands firmly with the media. BJP MLC and former journalist Dharmendra Singh offered a more cautious view. "Journalism is a sensitive profession. Journalists must maintain their dignity and avoid haste in reporting. But if the journalists' rights are at stake, I will stand with them," he said.
