TUESDAY, May 13, (News Locale) - Just five days after the Interpol issued a Red Corner Alert against him, Kerala's controversial godman, Amritha Chaithanya has been arrested by the state police from an undisclosed location in Kochi. 

Chaithanya, whose real name is Santosh Madhavan according to the Kerala police, is alleged to have swindled more than Rs 50 lakhs from a woman, Sarafin Edwin in Dubai back in 2004. He has been on the run ever since the alert notice was issued.

Police revealed that they had raided his Shanthiteertham ashram in Kochi on Sunday and found a number of documents related to large land deals, pornographic CDs, a tiger skin and a large cache of foreign liquor. Madhavan, who claims that a number of celebrities from the Malyalam film world and politicians are his clients, is alleged to have property worth crores of rupees registered in his name.

The Kerala police received an e-mail complaint from Edwin and with Interpol issuing the alert order, the Kerala Home Ministry stepped up the pressure on the police, with the deputy superintendent being forced to go on a leave after it surfaced that he had acted as the best man at Madhvan's wedding and is alleged to have shielded him at numerous times.