Have not fled the country: Kalki Bhagwan releases first video post I-T raids

Breaking his silence days after I-T raids on his ashram, self-styled godman Kalki Bhagwan issued a video statement, saying that he has not fled the country. He also urged his followers to remain calm.

New Delhi:Self-styled godman Kalki Bhagwan released a video on Tuesday after the Income Tax Department conducted raids at his ashram and found around Rs 500 cr of untaxed income.

In a video statement, he put an end to the rumours and said that he has not fled the country.

"First of all we have not fled the country nor have we gone anywhere. We are here itself and wish to inform our devotees that we are in very good health. Neither the government nor the IT Department has said that we have left the country, but it is the media that is saying we have fled the country," said Bhagwan in the video.

In the video, Kalki did not talk about the IT raids and revealed that the activities of his ashrams are going as usual and the followers need not worry.

On October 19, the Income Tax Department raided Kalki Bhagwan's ashram in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district and seized a vast amount of undisclosed wealth including Indian currency, US dollars, and diamonds.

The raids were also conducted at 40 other institutions belonging to Kalki Bhagwan and his son Krishna.

A total of Rs 44 crore in cash and US currency worth Rs 20 crore was seized and the total value of the seizure is about Rs 93 crore, which includes gold and diamonds, a tax department official release said.