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	Swami Scandal: Police Looking into Antecedents of Amrita Chaitanya Zee News May 24, 2008 http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=442133&sid=REG Kochi, May 10: Kerala police are verifying antecedents of Amrita Chaitanaya, against whom the UAE Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice for allegedly cheating an Indian woman. IGP Vinson M Paul said he got in touch with the CBI in Delhi following media reports about the fraudster swami. He also spoke to Interpol in Delhi and they informed him that UAE Interpol had issued a notice against Santosh Madhav, his name before he became a swami. However, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the state government had not received any communication from any international agency regarding Chaitanya so far. Meanwhile, the swami pledged innocence saying he was a law abiding citizen. "I have not taken law into my hands, I respect law", the swami told a Malayalam television channel in an interview. Police had raided his guest house here yesterday. Chaitanya alias Madhav is said to have cheated an Indian woman of four lakh dirhams along with another accused. Since the victim and culprit are Indians and there is no extradition treaty between India and UAE, the case is still pending. As and when an Indian court summons him, the CBI would ask Kerala Police to take further action, the IGP said. The IGP also said that Amrita Chaitanya came and met him a day before the raid stating that his photo was on the Interpol lookout notice and that he had not received any notice. He also met CBI officials. Earlier, in a Hawala case, Santosh Madhav's name had cropped up with regard to the purchase of a lodge at Kattapana in Idukki district for Rs one crore. It had been referred to the enforcement directorate. While the Interpol website gives his year of birth as 1973 and mentions the UAE case, the CBI says his year of birth as 1960 and the offence mentioned is possession of sophisticated weapons. In the television interview, Amrita Chaitanya alleged that attempts were being made to "tarnish" his image. "I respect law", he said and denied media reports that top politicians and police officers were among his vast network of friends. He said he was not informed by police about the raid at his guest house and he was very much in the city. During the Mumbai riots in 1993, he said he was working as a priest at a temple in Kerala. He also worked in various temples as priest and became interested in astrology. As his fame grew, people used to call him from the Gulf countries for consultation. He went to gulf on a visit visa at least 4 times six years ago, he said. "I have never gone to the gulf on a work visa", he said adding his visit was only to perform poojas and for astrological consultations. On his assets, the swami said he had 25 acre of land at Munnar in Idukki district. He said his trust had bought about seven acre of land in Kerala at a very cheap price. Bureau Report
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