Rudra Pratap, the founder of NGO Muskan

Patna, March 25: He called himself the “Chandraswami” of Muskan. But the godman could not dodge cops.

As the city police are making arrests in connection with the 150-crore scam related to the Muskan NGO, Swami Jeetendra — a self-proclaimed godman, who attended all public functions organised by the NGO in a bid to attract more people — was arrested today.

Jeetendra, who always wore saffron clothes and carried long hair locks and beard, was arrested early this morning from Patliputra area.

Rudra Pratap, the man who started the NGO, is absconding since last year after duping people of around Rs 150 crore. The police have been investigating the case and a few arrests have been made too. On March 14, four people were arrested in connection with the scam. “They have been identified as Vijendra Tiwary, the deputy director-in-chief of Muskan, Akhileshwar Kumar Singh, the planning director, Gyan Prakash, the brother of Rudra Pratap and Ajay Pandey, the finance director,” city superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande had said.

The police have also been scanning some bank accounts in connection with the case.

“Jeetendra was popular as Chandraswami of Muskan. The main objective of the NGO was to attract more and more rural people. Jeetendra played a majopr role in it,” Lande said.

He added: “Jeetendra used to attend all public functions of the NGO. As he was a self-proclaimed godman, people used to believe him. He was a sort of an attractor almost compelling people to invest in Muskan projects.”

Police sources said Jeetendra would be interrogated.

Earlier this month, the Opposition charged the animal husbandry minister Giriraj Singh of “promoting” Rudra Pratap as he had attended a public function organised by Pratap on June 7, 2010.

Pratap first advertised in the local media promising to usher in white revolution in the state. He offered cows to investors and jobs to the youths and held massive public functions at the Millar School in 2009 and SK Memorial Hall in 2010, which were attended by ministers and legislators.

“If some godman is attached to any organisation, people are bound to get attracted. Jeetendra was used for this purpose,” a police officer said.

Pratap floated the NGO and took money from 4,000 youths in the name of running Kisaan Hat, Kisaan Gaushala, Sramodaya Vidyalaya, a dairy besides other initiatives under Muskan.