Yoga ‘guru' arrested in Chhattisgarh for possessing cannabis
A 45-year-old self-styled yoga 'guru' from Chhattisgarh who claims to have spent a decade in Goa teaching yoga to Indians and foreign nationals has been arrested for allegedly possessing nearly 2 kg of cannabis.
The arrested man, Yogi Tarun Kranti Agrawal alias Sonu, had recently bought a property spread across five acres of land in an area close to the famous Dongargarh temple. Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg said that while the offence for now is the violation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the police were also probing his finances as well as scrutinising his claims such as visiting over 100 countries to teach yoga.
On the sequence of events, an investigator said that Agrawal, a native of Dongargarh, had left home two decades ago and returned recently. He bought the aforementioned land where the construction had began for an ashram. However, people complained to the local police that drugs were being served on the premises following which the place was raided 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 Mr. Garg. He added that the accused has been booked under Section 20B (that prohibits using cannabis production, manufacturing, possession, or uses cannabis) of the NDPS Act.
During interrogation, the accused purportedly told the police that he had spent the last decade in Goa.
He had left his home two decades ago and is said to have spent over a decade in Goa where he taught 'Kranti Yoga' to many people, including several foreign nationals. During the questioning, he told the investigators that he also travelled to various countries to teach yoga and that he runs many non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The police have seized Agrawal's passport and are verifying these claims. A police official said that the accused was under the influence of cannabis when he was arrested.
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