The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

LETTERS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Inside Sathya Sai’s chamber: 98 kg gold, Rs 11.5 crore cash
Suresh Dharur
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, June 17
The personal chamber of spiritual guru late Sathya Sai Baba at his ashram in Puttaparthi has turned out to be a virtual treasure trove. Huge quantities of gold, precious stones, silver and cash were found inside “Yajurveda Mandir” where Baba used to live.

The authorities have found 98 kg gold, 307 kg silver and Rs 11.56 crore in cash. It took two full days for the authorities of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT) to complete the inventory of the items inside the personal chamber, which was unlocked yesterday.

“We have deposited the cash and valuables in State Bank of India,” Trust member and Baba’s nephew RJ Ratnakar told reporters today. He, however, denied media reports that a will was found in which the godman had named his caregiver Satyajit as his successor.

The “Yajurveda Mandir”, an opulent residential quarter of Baba accessed only by his trusted personal assistants, was closed on March 28 when the spiritual leader was hospitalised with multiple-organ dysfunction. He passed away on April 24. The Trust members had recently decided to open the chamber to dispel doubts among devotees and the general public.

Neither the media nor the government officials were allowed when the chamber was unlocked yesterday. A stunning accumulation of wealth beckoned the officials. A detailed inventory of the articles was undertaken with the help of SBI officials. Cash-counting machines were pressed into service as heaps of cash was found inside the chamber.

Gold statues of Hindu Gods, ornaments, diamonds and silver articles were found. A brief statement issued by the Trust did not give any details of the ornaments or the source of the huge cash. It claimed that the officials of the Income-Tax Department were present during the inventory exercise. The high-profile members of the Trust, including former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Justice PN Bhagawati, Chakravarthy, SV Giri and V Srinivasan, were present when the chamber was opened after offering special prayers.

The trustees rejected the demand from several quarters that the revenue and police officials should be present during the inventory. The media and police were denied entry into the Yajurveda Mandir.

There has been a flurry of reports in the local media that large quantities of gold and other valuables were shipped out while Baba lay in the hospital in Puttaparthi battling for life. The local leaders have been mounting pressure on the Trust to open the chambers in the presence of the media.