The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has declared that it has found 98 kg of gold and jewellery, 307 kg of silver articles and Rs. 11.56 crore in cash in Yajur Mandir, the private chambers of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
R.J. Ratnakar, nephew of Sai Baba and member of the trust, said in a release that Yajur Mandir was opened for preparing an inventory of the valuables in it. All trust members and two eminent judges — Justice A.P Mishra, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Justice R.G. Vaidyanatha, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court — were present when it was opened after the keys were obtained from a locker in the State Bank of India branch in Prashanthi Nilayam.
Transparent process
To make the process as transparent as possible, an assessor approved by the Income Tax Department was present, and he valued the gold and silver articles on the premises. The cash was duly counted and deposited in the bank account of the trust in the SBI branch in Prasanthi Nilayam, the release said.
It is not yet clear what is done with the gold and silver ornaments. But it is believed that they would also be deposited in the bank, in a separate account to be opened by the trust for the purpose.
Wake up, people. Some religious extremists believe their nonsense, but most only half-believe it, knowing in their own hearts their half-truths, lies and deceptions. What they all believe in whole-heartedly is the prestige, admiration, renown, and material benefits it brings.
By now it must be clear that in his human limitations, Sai Baba could not trust anyone around him including the great names while the charitable activities were going on for which he always perhaps accepted wealth in any form. Again he could not trust anyone to pass on the wealth in a legitimate manner. It is a shame that the Turstees, family members and close associates , none behaved in a manner they could be trusted as otherwise Baba would have named some people. The investigating authorities must constitute new trust members to manage the whole affair with strict supervision.
Political and Religious corruption seems to be norm of society unless exposed by fearless free press particularly exposures by special investigations by Hindu paper shows people deserve better than charity of corrupt institutions namey justice.We should not be complimenting corrupt people doling out charity as crummbs but have lived extravagent luxurious life styles at the expense of common people.
It is a sad commentary by some commentators blaming media instead of being gratefull that we have free press and media particularly Hindu is in forefront in exposing corruption in public and religious activities of institutions accepting public money for performing pronounced unselfish activities and are accountable to explian rather than hiding behind the image of departed religious leader.I hope Hindu will persist in bringing back 1 trillion$ in swiss banks for good of our citizens with 40% suffering poverty.They deserve not charity from corrupt system but their birth right to improve working conditions and jobs.
It is highly deplorable on the part of some unscrupulous people to make illegitimate comments on Sai Baba and the central trust without even caring to know the facts. Bhagawan Sri Saibaba never used any money for his own purpose. All the money that devotees contributed to the trust as a token of love were properly accounted and used for the charitable activities. There is nothing unusual in finding the huge amount of money in the residence of Baba;even the daily expense for the working of the trust activities were huge. Media is to be blamed for misrepresenting the facts and cooking up stories for the sake of creating sensation.
I am sure the Satya Sai Trust is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization, therefore any donations received by them will not be taxed by the Government (this is the normal case in most countries). It would be hard to prove when these donations received. The fact that it is being declared now is sufficient in my opinion, because all of it is tax exempt anyways. It is also not necessary to know the source of these donations. If they were black money, then it will used for good purposes, which is good enough for me. As for people that have commented on Sai Baba hoarding funds, by seeing how Baba lived (i.e.a simple man), it is clear he was not the hoarding kind.
Therefore, in my humble opinion the purity of Sai Baba is still ntact, because he practiced what he preached, he did not cheat, steal. His teachings were accurate and helped millions and even though I am NOT a devotee of his, I believe he was a pure instrument of Grace. A wise being would stay focused on their own imperfections!
It is indeed an open secret that money from all kinds of elements would have been passed on to Baba as donations by high and mighty including questionable characters. At least, Baba should have received every donation in line with the rule of the land. But it appears that he too hoarded some money unaccounted for which has surprised his devotees and admirers. Especially when he had a well oiled trust machinery managing Rs. 50,000 crores approx, one wonders what was the need to have this wealth in his personal kitty. While I understand that gifts in terms of jewelry and others could have been kept by himself, the huge cash piles do stick out like a sour thumb!
I personally feel that this is a needless blemish which he could have done away with at least just before this death! That would have been smarter.
Whenver a donation ( cash, jewellery or precious stones ) is made either to the Central Sai Trust directly OR to Sai Baba personally, the money should have been accounted for by issuing a receipt immediately OR the next day OR within a reasonable period. In the instant case, cash/jewellery/precous stones found in the personal premises of Sai Baba were not accounted for. NOR, as per reports, Sai Baba was a tax-payer in personal capacity. Hence all the money, jewellery, precious stones NOW found are unaccounted, NOT TAX PAID either income tax or wealth tax. It is surprising as to how in such circumstances, eminent retired judicial personalities( whether as Central Trustees or observers ) found it correct to credit the above money/jewellery/precious gems to Central Sai Trust AND NOT TO the Conslidated Fund of India.
Sai Ram Mr Chandra.You are right, Sri Sathya Organisation never ask for any kind of contribution in cash or kind. However there is Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust which accept donations for running different service activities undertaken by the organization, namely health, education, food, water etc.,inter alia. Here also contributions are made purely on voluntary basis, like I donated a part of my first salary to the trust after getting through IAS examination. This is how various service programmes are excellently run by the Organization. Above all, Baba's divine grace is always there to take care of every small and big affair.As you rightly pointed out nowhere inside the Ashram is found any Hundi or Donation Box and such donation is strictly prohibited and discouraged.
When there is a leagally constituted TRUST to take care of the financial activities of the organisation and when the trust has bank accounts and surely safe deposit vaults in the banks for storing valuables, where was the need for private secret storage of all this gold, silver and cash ? Certainly reaises questions and suspicions about the source and purpose of these.
Whether he asked or not, when people saw various service programs, it was a gesture to participate! He did NOT take from common man, but looks like wealthier people voluntarily gave it for good cause. I dont think that is the issue. The fact that there was a Trust and why this was not part of the Trust accounts, why was this kept in his private Yajur Mandir, did the people who contributed it, take any tax credits etc., etc., need to be investigated. When Mother Theresa died, was there any cash or gold in her private room?!!
i dont know what the fuss is all about.Devotees give gifts and money to baba with devotion.Baba accepts them for the various service activities.He never had a bank account and used all his money for the poor.All the money and valuables found were given by devotees with devotion and now they have been deposited in the bank and will be used for the various developmental projects..
Sai Ram Mr Chandra.You are right, Sri Sathya Organisation never ask for any kind of contribution in cash or kind. However there is Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust which accept donations for running different service activities undertaken by the organization, namely health, education, food, water etc.,inter alia. Here also contributions are made purely on voluntary basis, like I donated a part of my first salary to the trust after getting through IAS examination. This is how various service programmes are excellently run by the Organization. Above all, Baba's divine grace is always there to take care of every small and big affair.As you rightly pointed out nowhere inside the Ashram is found any Hundi or Donation Box and such donation is strictly prohibited and discouraged.
Has this huge cash , gold and jwellery been declared to the Tax authorities before ; and have this been reflected in the Accounts and balance sheet of the Satya Sai Baba Trust? If the answer is in the negative, then the Tax Authorities should treat it as undeclared wealth and should deal with the recovered wealth as per law. There can be no two different laws - one for the common man and another for the Godman.
It is still a mystery such enormous movable valued assets gone unnoticed and how come without the knowledge of the Trust people it has been kept idle and kept under wraps. Let the Government put in a reliable team of officals and come out with the truth.
How did Baba amass so much wealth ?I understand, he never sought any contribution from any of his followers and there were no hundi anywhere in his ashrams . Never heard of him seeking any thing from His millions of followers for any blessing bestowed on them. Nevertheless, he built an empire of unparalled social service projects round the world . Someone should please unveil the seeming mystery.
Valuables worth Rupees 250 crore is found unaccounted for in a Trust and no body raises a cry? Who donated them ? Was it accounted for in the receipts of the trust? Seriously all the black money being dumped into so called Trust who runs Hospitals and Colleges, in turn tending to their benefactors. Awesome scam run in the name of trust.
The Govt or the Income tax authorities must confiscate all this wealth. These are ill gotten wealth, fooling people with superstition,magic etc.The law which applies to ordinary mortals must also apply to Saibaba, dead or alive
Ratan Tata's visit to Pattaparthi Ashram of Sathya Sai Baba. If the riches of sathya Sai Baba were a surprise, a second surprise greeted the ashram authorities this morning. Industrialist Ratan Tata, a Sai Baba devotee, arrived unannounced at the Prashanti Nilayam. Tata flew into Bangalore by a chartered plane and drove in a Mercedes to Puttaparthi, 435km from Hyderabad. He was allowed to enter Yajur Mandir as a special case and spent 45 minutes there. "He was searching for something he wanted to check. We don't know what he was looking for and whether he found it, but he did not take anything," one of the trustees said.
A Sai Institute student who was there said: "Our trust member Ratnakar Raju (a nephew of Sai Baba) spent about 15 minutes with Tata discussing something." Tata left Puttaparthi in the evening.
No wonder . The greed for money , wealth and fame grips not only the politicians but also the supposedly divine sages. Even the God could not answer to this kind of stashing away the money, gold and valuables in an antechamber by Satya Sai Baba.
Now I understand why he used to call everyone, including his devotees 'Bangaru! Bangaru!'
Sathya Sai Baba preached 'ceiling on desires' instead of 'a suppression of all desires.' Satyopanishad says 'Don't feel sad that you don't have koti (one crore of rupees), but be happy that you have enough for roti (food)'. The ceiling on materialistic desires varies from person to person and it seems for Sai baba it is this 98 kg of gold and jewellery, 307 kg of silver articles and Rs. 11.56 crore cash! This reminds me what Alexander the Great is said to have told his generals with his dying breath: 'When you place me on the funeral pyre, place me with my open palms facing upwards, so that all may see that though I have conquered the word I take nothing with me'.
Should a temple or a holy person accept hundi offerings without knowing the source, and without verifying if it was black money? By extension should a political party or candidate accept donations without verifying the money is from post tax earnings of the donor?
Behind the veil of delivering various welfare schemes for the people of Ananthpur district, lies this greed. To start any new cult, wealth is never a constraint. And by opening a school, hospital, etc many ills can be hidden.
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