Sai Baba’s secret rooms: officials rummage further

from http://news.oneindia.in/2011/07/18/sathya-sai-s-personal-chamber-reopened-on-jul-18-aid0155.html

 

Now that Guru Purnima 2011 is over, the process of entering further into Sai Baba’s material sanctum to rummage for more ill-gotten gains (i.e. gifts accepted without cheque by Sai Baba, who claimed he never handled or accepted any gifts or money!). The latest news report is seen here on the right:-

Concerning the issue of the hoard of unregistered gifts Sai Baba had accepted and squirreled away in his 5 by 5 metre bed(for what?), in cupboards and caches, Mr. V. Srinivasan stated at a press conference on July 1st, 2011, “Upto the time of Baba’s Maha Samadhi, the Trustees had no knowledge of the Rs. 11 crores. Baba is the Founder Trustee, and the fact is Baba had no property of His own. He doesn’t even have a bank account in His name; all that He had was His dress. Whatever the devotees gave Him, He used it for public good. We can not know why He acted in a particular way but what we can firmly say is Baba never kept anything for Himself.”

This is nothing less than turning black into white. Sai Baba had only his dress! Who can believe that. Sathya Sai Baba lived like a maharaja compared to any ordinary Indian labourer, let alone any genuine sannyasin. He had not to lift a finger for anything, well-appointed luxury apartments all over the place, all his food, cars, planes, cash and other enticements to give away to his boys. He did not use his hoarded wealth in the mandir for the public good, he had accepted it as gifts – which is contrary to all he has ever claimed about himself.

“The Board of Trustees met for the first time after taking the inventory on  June 27. They have taken the decision to pay necessary income-tax on the value of the inventory though no demand for tax has been received from the Income-Tax Department. Accordingly a sum of Rs.9.75 crores has been paid towards income-tax.”

A strange act indeed, since the Trust was exempt of taxation, customs duty etc., preempting the authorities, whose right it would be to levy tax… since taxation is not decided voluntarily by the payee.  

Srinivasan wove another web of lies about the Rs. 35 lakhs has been seized from a vehicle on the highway. The Andhra Pradesh police, who questioned  V. Srinivasan and Ratnakar,  investigated thoroughly and exposed the lie that the money had been paid for the construction of the Mahasamadhi by 12 devotees independent of the Trust, because the money was transferred long before Sai Baba’s death was expected.
Srinivasan said:-  “A group of devotees approached the Trustee Mr. Ratnakar and expressed a desire to humbly contribute towards the project and handed over to him a sum of Rs. 35 lakhs.” The money therefore was handed over to the project consultant in  Prasanthi Nilayam in the evening of  June 18. The car of the  consultant agency was stopped by the Police enroute to Bangalore and the funds have been seized. The project consultant had filed a letter with the Police explaining that these funds have been given to them for the Maha Samadhi work and have asked the Police to release these funds to enable them to proceed with the work of Samadhi construction.”

The media asked him: “On the first day they said that the amount does not belong to them. Subsequently they stated that it belonged to 12 devotees but their names were not disclosed. Later it was said that the amount was given by devotees to L&T (a construction company) in connection with the construction of Maha Samadhi.  Why did the statements change every”
Mr. V. Srinivasan (V.S.): I request Mr. Naganand to answer this question.
Mr. S.S. Naganand (S.S.N.): To the best of my knowledge.

Media: You say the Trust is very transparent;  then why was Rs.11 crores found in Yajur Mandir. If the money was given to Baba, why was it not deposited in the bank? (Mr. Srinivasan from NTV Bhakthi Channel in Telugu).

Srinivasan avoided the question entirely and replied: “The Board of Trustees took charge of these affairs after Bhagawan’s Maha Samadhi and then acted as per law. Therefore as soon as the inventory was taken, we deposited it in the State Bank of India; we have the receipt. Now we also feel that for the value of cash and gold recovered we should pay income-tax. That is why even without any demand from Income-tax department, we have paid Rs. 9.75 crores (as advance tax).”

Srinivasan continued he deceptions and untruths at length as can be read at http://saicouncil.org.my/sainews/?p=295

See what devotees thought of the Trust and its trustees (scanned image below) and see also:-
Sai Baba’s Yajur Mandir looted by thieves – Deccan Chronicle
Sathya Sai Trust’s V.Srinivasan: Defending A Religious Empire Fallen. A Torn House Divided