Hyderabad, April 24
With the demise of godman Sathya Sai Baba, a question mark hangs over the future of a huge empire he has built over decades at “Prashanthi Nilayam”, his spiritual abode.

A cloak of secrecy covers the functioning of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), which manages a global network of philanthropic, social and spiritual activities. Amidst reports of a rift in the all-powerful nine-member Trust, whose opaque functioning has evoked public criticism, the Andhra Pradesh Government has taken up a facilitator role to set the house in order keeping in view the sentiments of millions of Baba’s devotees spread across the world.

The key members of the Trust include former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, PN Bhagvathi, former Central Vigilance Commissioner, SV Giri, Indulal Shah and retired IAS officer K Chakravarthi, who is the secretary. Baba’s nephew RJ Ratnakar is the sole representative from the family on the Trust board.