Diaries with telephone nos of traders, power brokers seized

Jabalpur, Mar 10 (UNI) Two diaries containing telephone numbers of gold traders and influential persons in Mumbai, Indore, Jabalpur and other cities were seized after the March 8 expose of a monk who indulged in exploitation at his single-acre 'Paramhans' ashram in this district's Gomukh village, police said today.

Vikas Joshi alias Swami Vikasanand targeted minor girls, used a seven-foot-long tiger skin as a throne, had a grand bathtub and possessed objectionable photographs of young women.

Befooling simple village folk and educated urbanites alike earned him lakhs that were deposited in a bank account. Joshi also encroached on government land, according to the report.

''He was arrested on March 8 from a room in the posh Hotel Satya Ashok while showing a blue film to three adolescent girls. A few obscene CDs and more than 1.5 kg marijuana were seized,'' a police officer said.

Joshi, hailing from Dhana village in Maharashtra's Thane district, was remanded to custody. A search at the ashram also yielded obscene CDs, video cassettes, marijuana, a revolver holster, an album of minor girls' objectionable photographs, sacred ash, Rs 60,000, passbook and documents revealing ownership of two acres besides Rs 1.50 lakh in a bank locker.

'Paramhans' also had an automatic generator, fire-fighting equipment and a luxurious cellar, police said.

UNI RG-AC RP HS1518