Exposé writer Barry Pittard on the latest Trust and treasure scandals

Critics of Sathya Sai Baba and his international cult observe yet further ‘waves’ of interest in the demise of his repute. Barry Pittard has been engaged, both as a chronicler and indeed as a maker of such waves since the end of 1992. He has just written a blog that relates points relating the Sathya Sai Baba cult exposure that currently rages in India and the intensive exposure, emanating largely from outside India, in which Pittard has been a central player.

Below are some points he makes. The article is: Sai Baba Treasure Scandals: His Big Political Protectors Now Run For Cover. Posted by Barry Pittard on June 22, 2011

“For some weeks, it has been evident to any careful observer, that the Andhra Pradesh government has been only too aware of troubles in the Sathya Sai camp that might grow too big to suppress. See: Human Rights Commission Probe Fronts Andhra Government On Sathya Sai Baba Treatment”
———————————

“Sathya Sai devotees, too, are asking leading and uncomfortable questions, and consulting legal opinion. Just as those of us, who are now former followers of Sathya Sai Baba, did as, long ago, we began to investigate ever further layers on layers of corruption. And of a spiritual betrayal of the utmost magnitude.”
———————————

“There is relief that at least a few of Sai Baba’s dark deeds, and those of his core servitors, are being revealed on a large-scale – and from within India itself!”
———————————

“Could we turn for justice to the Indian Justice system? No, we emphatically failed. Even though one of India’s gutsiest and most senior advocates to the Supreme Court, Kamini Jaiswal, went in to bat.”
———————————

“Could we turn for justice even to the former pinnacle of the Indian Justice system, P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of Indian, who is now implicated in the treasury scandals, and is himself up for police investigation? We could not turn to this legal ‘hero’, either.”
———————————

Many young men claiming sexual contact with Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba with some favourite boyfriends in his later years. Why did he have a bed in his private room (astonishing news for his devotees – from The Telegraph, Calcutta, and other papers)  which is five meters by 5 meters? One can but surmise…

Now that more of the truth about the massive deceptions and cover-ups around Sathya Sai Baba have been discovered, it is time to point out again the extensive and credible testimony – much of it confirmed by our incisive  investigations – and circumstantial evidence about Sathya Sai Baba as a major, serial sexual abuser. As often explained on numerous websites, the number of males who are reported as having been sexually molested by Sai Baba in one way or another is very considerable. There are differences in the extent to which those so involved have reported the facts. Over 20 have written their testimony on the Internet or have been filmed on documentaries stating their experiences. All of these are highly credible witnesses, in whose testimony there are many similarities, though they explain in different ways according to each the particular circumstances involved. They were brave indeed to stand forth, having nothing to gain other than the knowledge that they may have helped protect others from the same experiences.  They have been harassed and libeled for their troubles by devotees of Sai Baba in intense denial, especially by Gerald Joe Moreno on a truly fanatical scale.

The credibility of most allegations and descriptions is extremely sound: Why would so many identifiable young men go to the trouble and lengths of writing their detailed testimony on how they were abused sexually by Sathya Sai Baba if this never happened, as Sai VIPs and devotees still wish to believe?  Knowing how difficult it is to stand forth as a victim of sex abuse, it is certain that these brave persons are but the tip of a huge iceberg. The following list is of people who have publicly announced as having been approached and misused sexually by Sathya Sai Baba in one way or another:-

(1) Tal Brooke, USA (2) John Worldie, USA  (see here -‘Big John’ by Murphet) (3) Conny Larsson, Sweden (4) Keith Ord, UK/Spain (5) Hans de Kraker, Australia/Holland (see Hans de Kraker: telling comments on Sai Baba on The Telegraph obituary (6) Alaya Rahm, USA (7) Jens Sethi, Germany (8) Afshin Khorramshahgol, Iran/USA (9) Mark Roche, USA (10) Sathya Purcell, USA (11) Dr. Naresh Bhatia, India (12) Ulrich Zimmerman USA (13) John Bright, UK

(14) Matthijs van der Meer, Holland (15) John Purnell, Australia (16) Jesper Anden, Sweden (17) Gabriel Mn, Sweden (18) Jed Geyerhahn, USA (19) Terry Scott, USA (20) Neptune Chapotin USA (“Fifteen-year-old”) (21) Son of Britt-Marie Andén (22) Tomm ‘The Golden Boy’, Gothenberg, Sweden (23) Krishna Kumar,  (see explanation about Krishna Kumar) (24) Marc-Andre St. Jean, Canada (also here) (25) Christopher St. John (actor etc. see here) (26) Uli Steckenreuter, Germany (27) David Paul, UK. further testimony

One of the most prominent Sai Baba devotees and lecturers, Dr. Naresh Bhatia, was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph’s Mick Brown and told how he had been a sexual partner of Sathya Sai Baba for years, and how Sai Baba had anally raped a 14 year old boy in his college. This led to  Bhatia’s sacking and removal from Puttaparthi after intense harassment by thugs. See a full account here.

Sathya Sai Baba himself related in two different discourses that boys slept in his locked bedroom apartment: see BOYS SLEEP IN SAI BABA’S BEDROOM

In addition – numerous alleging sex-abused persons whose names are not always given here for obvious reasons, including harassment of self and family members, the threat of possible murder (as occurred in 1993 at Prashanthi Nilayam) :-

30)  Several Malaysian students (unidentified, who informed the Malaysian Organization around 1980 (confirmed to Priddy by former Sai Baba activist there, Hariram Jayaram – see letter and fuller account here)

31) Two younger brothers of a NRI entrepreneur (identity known but kept secret)  in Australia who he immediately withdrew from the Sai College at PN when they told him (he has been in close contact with the exposé)
32) Former student whose writings are posted here under the pseudonym Raman Sharma and especially here
33) gsmpasad   himself abused and who knew a long list of students who were also ‘form boys’ for Sai Baba
34) Basava Premanand represented abused students at the Sai Colleges (see The Sai Baba and his Students)
35) Testimony from a Sai Baba sexually-abused male and more from Huffington Post
36) Sex wanted by Sai Baba claim and thugs sent after refusal – on Express Buzz (India) by Linda Burton
37) Report by Barry Pittard on Polish man molested by Sai Baba and a Malaysian man oiled genitally

In addition – numerous alleging sex-abused persons whose names are not given here for obvious reasons:-

Testimony from persons who contacted the Sai Petition:-

31)  Dilip Narain, Australia signed the petition on July 8. 2011.Period as a follower: 1979-1982 Position in S.S.Org: student Puttaparti college. “I attended his college with my 2 brothers and was abused sexually. My father handed over thousands of dollars in cash. How could his abuse of innocent children be covered up for so long?”
32) Alvaro Filippo Michelon, Italy signed the petition on April 14. 2011. Period as a follower: 1981 – 1990 “I was first molested by Sai Baba 81. But I thought it was a privilege. I’m so sorry i have lost 10 years of my life…”
33)  Veronica Isacsson, Sweden signed the petition.  Period as a follower: 94-03  “friends of me has been sexually abused by Baba”
34) Rosalia Malagelada de Neves, Venezuela signed the petition.  Period as a follower: 1988 until 2001 Position in S.S.Org: Venezuela Comite “I knew the two cases very close of abuse”
35) Paul Throne, USA signed the petition.  Period as a follower: 1988-2000 Position in S.S.Org: Center education coordinator.  “Have been to see SB 4 times, 1990, 1994, 1995-96 and 1999. Despite many positive experiences, I believe too many credible accounts of abuse now exist to pretend it isn’t real, including a young male friend of mine who told me SB fondled him. More frightening to me than the megalomaniac SB is his organization and its leaders. When the leaders refuse to hear these concerns or allow discussion of these events, it has become a complete mind-control cult.”
36)  David Juliano, USA signed the petition.  “abused by Sai Baba in 1974”
37)  michael smith, USA signed the petition.  “I am a sexual abuse victim advocate who is concerned for all victims in the U.S.”

Genital oiling by Sathya Sai Baba is also reported:-

(1) Jens Sethi, Germany
(2) Al Rahm (father of Alaya – testified on BBC documentary)
(3) by Greg Gerson USA
(4) Josh Kintz USA – son of Marie and Bruce Kintz (genitally oiled) 6plus two other friends of Sathya Purcell (unidentified) reported by Sharon Purcell
5) Troels Meyer – younger son of deceased Central Coordinator Thorbjørn & Marianne Meyer (EHV – Europe) (reported by his brother, Thomas Meyer)
(6) By a known US author who, after having published that  SB applied a white ointment  to his chest later stated in an open e-mail that it  was actually on his perineum (behind the gonads).
(7) A Sai student posted (1/10/01) on Sathya Sai Baba Discussion Club under “A Letter I Wrote to Sai Critic” the following “… beside being “oiled” under the pretense of curing a different problem with a totally different part of my anatomy, I was saved from further sexploitation my en masse defections from the closet relatives who were Baba’s choice inner circle for decades who were all victims of his sodomite behaviour. Needless to say, we were villified as usual and were labelled as opportunists. I don’t expect you to believe this or post it on your site but I would appreciate if you sent this to Mr. Murphet. But he is too invested in this for nearly 40 years and I don’t expect him to have an open mind after this long. After all, my own father did not believe what happened to me when it happened. Regards,Taken for a ride for 20 years and called the “chaff””

Other reports of improper (sexual) behaviour by Sathya Sai Baba are many – here are a few

1) Edwin X, the Netherlands (the webmaster has the full details of this person, anonymous here)
2) Anonymous Danish youth
3) Gerald Joe Moreno, USA
4 The Indian web site Express.buzz (see downloaded page here)
They allowed the following comment to be posted on an article in reply to a defender of Sathya Sai Baba:-
TO: Krishnakumar- I used to be a devotee of Sai Baba till my boyfriend was given a private meeting when he took him inside and asked him to do sexual things with him. My boy friend was shocked , he refused, came out. My boy friend is heterosexual. We both left Puttaparthi because, after that we were threatened by Sai Baba’s thugs. We were both 23 yrs old. We realized that we had to leave. So don’t live in your make believe world!!!! Wake up. I bet you are not sexually interesting , otherwise he would have tried you too.
By Linda Burton 12/26/2009 11:45:00 PM

Sathya Sai College: ex-student tells of awful sex culture there  A valuable account to inform those who were at the colleges what others experienced. Much was unsaid about Sathya Sai Baba because of the extreme censorship, the very strong punishments that were meted out to students who talked, up to and including their death.

More untoward events at Prashanthi Nilayam – unexplained deaths, disappearances, and suicides

---

See a selected list of prominent signers of the Sai Petition here.

Police summons for two Sathya Sai Central Trust board members

Finally…..after having issued legal notices under the criminal procedures code to two Sathya Sai Baba Central Trust members, and with those trustees not having responded  till date, the Andhra Pradesh police have summoned them to appear before them in connection with criminal cases. As the news report states…it is the first time in its entire history that any member of the powerful Central Trust is being summoned by the police to answer criminal charges! One can but hope that this would lead to more arrests of the big fish (and not just some hapless lower level workers as has been so far).

The Times of India also stated:- Police officers said they would question the trust members about the source of the money, which was intercepted near Hindupur while being transported to Bangalore by a man named Harishnana Shetty in a car.

The police investigations also revealed that the car seized June 19 had made four trips between Puttaparthi and Bangalore since June 16, when the locks of Yajur Mandir were opened. With the seizure of cash, a section of devotees have reiterated their allegations that huge amounts of money and valuables were shipped out of Prashanti Nilayam while Sathya Sai Baba was battling for his life at a hospital since March 28.

Some family members of Sathya Sai Baba have also made serious allegations against the trust members. They accused the trust of not taking care of the spiritual leader properly when he was hospitalised. They also said the trust was not taking devotees into confidence while taking major decisions.

The state’s main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations against the trust.
(see http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Andhra-Police-summon-two-Sathya-Sai-trustees/articleshow/8950023.cms)