‘Land encroachment’: Computer Baba held, his ashram demolished

Namdeo Tyagi, a self-styled godman who is also popularly known as Computer Baba and served as a Minister of State under the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, was on Sunday placed under preventive arrest with the Indore district administration demolishing Tyagi’s ashram that was allegedly built on encroached land.

Tyagi, along with his six associates, was held under section 151 of the CrPC to prevent any law and order situation, said DIG (Indore) Harinarayan Chari Mishra.

Tyagi was appointed as the chairman of a river trust during the Congress tenure and was also given the status of minister by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government, but he joined the Congress ahead of the bypolls on 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh. He has been critical of the BJP government and alleged that they were involved in sand-mining. He also launched a campaign for the Congress terming the 22 MLAs, who had switched sides bringing down the Kamal Nath government, as “gaddaar”.

#WATCH Madhya Pradesh: District Administration today demolished an illegal construction belonging to Computer Baba in Indore.

“Six people have been detained as they tried to obstruct demolition process,” says Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Indore pic.twitter.com/iX7ggDRk0k

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2020

According to officials from the Indore district administration, about 46 acres of land was allotted to Jamudi Hapsi gram panchayat on the outskirts of Indore for the construction of a gaushala in 2000. However, Tyagi constructed an ashram on two acres and allegedly encroached on nearly 40 acres of the total land.

“We had received complaints from the panchayat based on which a notice was issued about two months ago to which the ashram authorities failed to respond, and subsequently the demolition was carried out,” Indore Collector Manish Singh told The Indian Express.

According to district officials, a gaushala will be constructed in place of the ashram and the entire area located on a hillock with an adjoining temple will be developed for religious purposes.

Police said they have recovered a .315 bore rifle and unaccounted cash in Tyagi’s bank account, which will be probed by the Income Tax department.

Singh said further action is likely as they have received more complaints of encroachment on nearly two acres of forest land in Super Corridor in Indore and a few temples. “We have also received complaints of Tyagi and his associates being involved in several land grabbing cases in the city which are being investigated,” said Singh.