PUTTAPARTHI: Why did Sathya Sai Baba stash over Rs 11 crore cash, 98 kg gold and over 300 kg silver in his personal chamber, the Yajurveda Mandir? By their own admission, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust members are not aware of the hidden treasure till they opened the mandir locks. It “might have been kept for the poor,” they reasoned -- contrary to their earlier assertions that all donations are accepted only in the form of cheques.This was one among several questions that cropped up Tuesday after the trust members addressed a press conference to “clarify” the goings-on in Prashanti Nilayam in the wake of the seizure of Rs 35.5 lakh en route to Bangalore from Puttaparthi.Contradictions appeared on the critical question of who the seized cash was meant for. The trust members insisted that the cash seized by the Anantapur police was being taken straight to Bangalore-based Shankar Narayan Constructions which is entrusted with the task of constructing Baba’s Mahasamadhi. But Chandrasekhar, driver of trust member V Srinivasan, who was caught carrying the cash, had reportedly told the police that the money was meant for Srinivasan himself.Police officials, probing the cash seizure case, have now got down to the business of comparing the statements recorded so far including that of trust members RJ Ratnakar and Srinivasan.“The trust has nothing to do with the Rs 35.5 lakh cash seized at Kodikonda checkpost that was being transported out of Puttaparthi.Construction of Baba’s Mahasamadhi has been entrusted to Bangalore-based Shankar Narayan constructions and the money was being delivered to them,” Srinivasan claimed.He said the cash belonged to Sai devotees and explained that the Sai Trust was not a religious outfit, but a social welfare organisation.“As per the Hindu tradition, the Mahasamadhi is being constructed with donations given by devotees under the supervision of the trust,” he said, adding that he had conveyed the same to the police. He also said the names of donors, their PAN numbers and other details had been submitted to the court. He said that Baba’s devotees had handed over Rs 35.5 lakh cash to Trust member Ratnakar and when the same was being sent to Bangalore, police had seized it.Srinivasan maintained that the trust had no role in the construction of the Mahasamadhi.“The construction company will complete the project and hand it over to the trust which has been working transparently,” he said. On the controversy surrounding the Yajurveda Mandir, he said it was opened on June 16 and an inventory was made of the items inside.“The cash was deposited in bank and gold and silver ornaments have been kept in bank lockers for safety. All of it was done in a transparent manner in the presence of former Supreme Court judge Justice AP Mishra and retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice Vaidyanathan,” Srinivasan said.
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