Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pradeep Shukla, alias 'Kali Sarkar', who gained notoriety for holding 'divine courts' (divya darbar) in the Mauranipur area of Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested by the Hardoi police, officials said on Wednesday.
He was wanted in connection with cases dating back 31 years. Criminal cases were registered against him in 1993 and 1998, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest due to his failure to appear in court.
Pradeep Shukla, a resident of Chauhan Thok in Hardoi, had been living at a temple in Kuraicha village, Jhansi, under the name Satyanand Shukla, alias 'Kali Sarkar'.
He would dress in military-style attire to conduct his 'divine courts', claiming to cure people's ailments. He reportedly has over 100,000 followers on social media.
The Hardoi police had previously taken him into custody on October 10, but he was granted relief by the court at that time because his past criminal records were not immediately available.
Following the retrieval and verification of these records, the police have now arrested him again. It is also reported that a case of alleged sexual assault against a minor has been registered against him; the police are currently investigating the matter.
Ajit Chauhan, Circle Officer (CO) for Hardoi City, stated that an operation against crime and criminals is underway, following directives from the Superintendent of Police.
"As part of this initiative, a court warrant was obtained on Tuesday against Pradeep Shukla, a 'history-sheeter' (a person with a documented criminal record) from Chauhan Thok. Subsequently, he was arrested and produced before the court," Chauhan said.
According to police records, the first case against Pradeep Shukla was registered in 1993 under Section 25 of the Arms Act. In the same year, another case was filed against him, invoking Sections 394, 397, and 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Additionally, a case was registered against him in 1998 under Section 324 of the IPC. The accused had long failed to appear in court regarding these past cases, which led to the issuance of a permanent warrant against him.
Source: IANS
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