A saffron-clad fake baba was arrested by Yerraguntla police along with his aide on charges of misbehaving with women. he was sent for psychiatric treatment on the directions of Proddatur Principal District Magistrate court according to the police.
His aide Lomada Subba Reddy, who was named as prime accused, was remanded to judicial custody till January 7, according to Yerraguntla sub-inspector Sanjiva Reddy. A police picket is guarding the so-called baba, named Swamy, as he is mentally deranged, according to the police. Yerraguntla police arrested the baba and his aide two days ago on a complaint filed by Bhoomireddy Venkata Bhaskara Reddy of Proddatur that they were misbehaving with women.
Subba Reddy and two others, who were present with the baba, propagated that he would bless the childless women with children and ward off evil spirits, when large number of devotees turned out at Sri Ayyappa Swamy temple in Proddatur, police said. People who believed the propaganda garlanded the baba seated on a chair under a tree behind the Ayyappa Swamy temple and gave him harathi. A hundi was set up and a cot was arranged for the baba.
The baba gave a pinch of mud to those visiting him. People who visited him donated money for purchasing utentils and provisions for annadanam. Meanwhile, basing on the complaint, police arrested him and produced him in court. On the court’s directions, he was admitted to the psychiatric ward in RIMS hospital here and police guard was posted. The baba would be produced in court again after getting a report from psychiatrists, which was expected in the next four to five days.