New Delhi: Self-styled godman Namdeo Tyagi, who is popularly known as Computer Baba, was on Sunday arrested along with six of his associates in preventive action during demolition of alleged illegal construction at his ashram near Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, police said. As per Indore administration officials, illegal constructions and encroachments were found during an investigation on two acres of government land in his ashram premises on the city’s outskirts.

Speaking to ANI, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Indore said, “Six people have been detained as they tried to obstruct demolition process.”

His ashram is spread over 40 acres land, the market value of it is estimated at Rs 80 crore, they said.

Tyagi, had a MoS status and was appointed as the chairman of a river trust by the previous Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state.  He is reportedly known as Computer Baba because he could always be seen with a laptop and is also said to be very tech savvy, as he keeps using various gadgets all the time.

Superintendent of Police (western region) Maheshchandra Jain said, “The preventive arrests were made under Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) during demolition of illegal construction on government land in Tyagi’s ashram at Jamburdi Hapsi village on Indore’s outskirts,”

Tyagi and six of his associates have been sent to jail, he added.

According to local administration officials, the revenue department imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on the ashram office-bearers some days back and asked them to remove illegal constructions from the government land.

However, as the illegal constructions were not removed, the administration took out the ashram belongings on Sunday and removed the encroachments amid heavy police security, they said.

A gaushala (cowshed) and a religious place would be developed on this land now, the officials said.

(With Agency inputs)