BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Friday demolished the Shree Baikuntha Dham Ashram in Ghatikia here for allegedly being constructed on encroached government land.
The ashram was razed to the ground by seven enforcement squads comprising staff from BDA, BMC and General Administration department in presence of police.
A BDA official said, the eviction was carried out after the Orissa High Court vacated the interim stay on demolition of the ashram on January 10 and posted the matter for next hearing to February 3.
The ashram was located on plot numbers 9037 and 9038 in Ghatikia over an area of 0.140 acre. On verification, it was found to be government land. Accordingly, requisition had been made by the GA department for its eviction. Prior to the eviction, the agency had asked the ashram management to vacate the space.
“The demolition was carried out smoothly. One section of police personnel had been deployed to avoid any law and order situation,” the official said.
The ashram had landed in controversy after a voluntary organisation filed a complaint against its chief Kashinath Mishra at Bharatpur police station on November 13 last year alleging that the latter was portraying his son as a God and asking people to worship him as ‘Kalki Bhagwan’. A photograph of Mishra’s son sitting on a chair with sacred ‘Tulsi’ (basil) placed on his feet had also surfaced during the time leading to huge outrage among the devout.