'Arrest other seers...too': 'IIT Baba' after being caught with ganja
What's the story
Abhay Singh, popularly known as "IIT Baba," was detained briefly by Jaipur police for carrying "ganja" (cannabis).
The incident took place after the police received reports of a disturbance at a hotel in the Riddhi Siddhi area.
Singh, an IIT Bombay graduate who shot to fame during the Maha Kumbh Mela for leaving engineering to embrace spirituality, said the cannabis was "prasad" and part of his Aghori customs.
Legal proceedings
Singh faces legal action, addresses rumors
"(They found) 'prasad', ganja, from my possession...Every seer has this prasad. If it's illegal, arrest seers who attended Maha Kumbh as they were having it there openly," he told reporters.
A case has been registered against Singh under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
However, he was released as the amount of cannabis found was within permissible limits.
Rumors
'I have nothing to say'
He also refuted rumors of his alleged suicide threat on social media, saying, "There are three-four fake news: one is of suicide, second is of my detention."
"I have nothing to say about it as of now. It's my birthday, and I want to be happy today," the IIT Bombay alumnus said.
Spiritual transition
Singh's journey from engineering to spirituality
Singh's shift from aerospace engineering to spirituality has fascinated many.
He earlier revealed that his search for truth prompted him to study philosophy and later take to asceticism.
However, not everyone has embraced his metamorphosis; he was banished from the Juna Akhara camp at the Maha Kumbh Mela and labeled an "educated lunatic" by its spokesperson.
Public image
Singh's viral interview and controversial incidents
With more than three lakh Instagram followers, Singh became an overnight sensation at the Kumbh, especially after a viral interview brought his journey from a successful engineering career to spirituality to light.
Earlier, Singh alleged assault during a news debate in Noida, where he claimed saffron-clad people attacked him.
He sat outside the police outpost in Sector 126 but later called off his protest after talks with police.