The court allowed the Delhi Police to interrogate in custody a self-styled godman in a case of alleged running of a multi-crore sex racket in the national capital.
A court here today allowed Delhi Police to interrogate in custody a self-styled godman in a case of alleged running of a multi-crore sex racket in the national capital.
Metropolitan magistrate Ravinder Singh sent accused Shiv Murat Dwivedi (39) alias Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanandji Maharaj Chitrakootwale to police custody till March nine.
Police wanted 10 days remand of the godman and his accomplice Praveen.
"The entire case has vast ramifications and to unearth them, the custodial interrogation of the accused was required. We also want to ascertain whether some more call girls have been detained by the accused at his different places or not," police told the court.
The defence counsel, however, vehemently opposed the plea saying the custodial interrogation of the accused was not required at all as the probe in the case was almost over.
"Once an accused is remanded in judicial custody (jail), police cannot seek his custody unless there are special reasons," said the counsel appearing for the godman.
"This 'baba' was also running a website to run the business of flesh trade. The call records and other things regarding the case has to be ascertained and probed," police had argued yesterday.
The accused was required to be taken to his native place at Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh to know his links there, they had said.
Police, meanwhile, have also initiated the process to invoke provisions of stringent MCOCA against the godman who is booked under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act for allegedly running the sex racket.
Police suspect that Dwivedi was in close touch with some pimps, including Sonu Punjaban and two others who were arrested in November 2008, and were running the racket along with them.
Apparently, they fell out and the others were arrested.
Sources said Dwivedi earned crores of rupees through the sex racket. Half-a-dozen diaries were recovered from Dwivedi's possession which contains a large number of names, including of some politicians. However, the veracity of his claims is yet to be ascertained, they said.
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