CHENNAI: The Income Tax department on Wednesday launched raids at the premises of a self-styled spiritual guru and his son, in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The premises of 70-year-old self-styled godman Kalki Bhagwan and his son were raided for tax evasion and a substantial amount of cash has been found, according to sources. Sources told Express raids were carried out in 40 places. Initially, the media in Chennai was at sea over the raids as no information was forthcoming from officials. Sources said the searches are still ongoing.
The spiritual guru’s sprawling ashram, his headquarters near Chittoor, bordering Tamil Nadu, is also being searched.
Kalki set up a campus in Chennai, named Somamangalam, and by 1999, he also owned ‘Oneness University’, an institution to impart spiritual learning. The university has reportedly been visited by celebrities over the years, including Hrithik Roshan, Manisha Koirala and Shilpa Shetty. The institution gained spotlight in 2008 when five people died in a stampede at the Chittoor ashram.