Cuttack/Bhubaneswar, Sept. 8: The Shiv temple, one of the major attractions at Sura baba's Trahi Achyuta Ashram at Jhinti Sasan, was constructed at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore, a crime branch investigation has revealed.

The beautiful milky-white main temple in the ashram, which is about 150-ft high, has a water body. Visitors had to pay Rs 20 per person to enjoy a toy train ride around the pond. A crime branch official said the toy train was procured from Gujarat.

"The toy train was purchased at a cost of Rs 48 lakh, while another Rs 28 to 30 lakh was spent towards the statues," said additional director general, crime branch, B.K. Sharma.

The investigating agency today interrogated the elder son of Sura baba, Trilochan, who used to handle all the financial transactions of the main ashram. The investigating agency also recovered 350 grams of gold ornaments from a bank locker belonging to Trilochan.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) today began its probe into allegations of illegal construction at the Trahi Achyuta Ashram at Jhinti Sasan. "Jhinti Sasan came under the preview of BDA in 2011. We have been receiving reports that the constructions were done on the ashram premises without the prior approval of BDA. If we find that the constructions were done without our approval, we would initiate a case against the ashram under the provisions of the Orissa Development Authorities Act, 1982," said BDA secretary Ranjan Das.

The Khurda district administration has started freeing government land allegedly encroached by the ashram. Revenue officials today started measuring the area under the ashram. The administration had earlier sent a notice to the ashram authorities to vacate the encroached land.