Hyderabad: Cash, gold
and silver continue to tumble out of cupboards in the late Sathya
Sai Baba's residential quarters in Puttaparthi town of Andhra
Pradesh, with valuables worth nearly Rs.59 crore being found so
far in three rounds of counting.
In the latest round of inventory taken up Monday at Yajur Mandir
in Prashanti Nilayam, Anantpur district officials found ornaments,
cash and other valuables.
The inventory, the third in a month, yielded 34.5 kg of gold, 340
kg of silver and Rs.1.90 crore of cash till Monday night. The
counting resumed Tuesday morning in the presence of Sathya Sai
Central Trust officials.
Anantapur district collector Durgadas told reporters last night
that the counting began at 10.45 a.m. Monday and lasted nearly 12
hours. The jewellery, cash and other valuables were found in six
rooms, which were not opened in the earlier rounds.
The officials found gold bangles, earrings, silver mugs, silver
cookware, plates, spoons, puja material, expensive saris, shirts,
trousers and other gift items.
The officials believe there might be more rooms and closets which
were not searched earlier and might yield more treasure.
The third haul is likely to raise further doubts about the
functioning of the trust, which manages the affairs of the vast
spiritual empire of Sathya Sai Baba.
The trust, which had opened the spiritual guru's personal chamber
June 16 for the first time after his demise April 24, found
Rs.11.56 crore, 98 kg gold and gold jewellery, 307 kg silver
articles.
It also claimed to have completed the inventory of all the
articles.
However, two days later seizure of Rs.35 lakh by police while
being transported from Prashanti Nilayam to Bangalore triggered a
huge row with a section of devotees alleging that the trust
members were involved in financial irregularities and that huge
amounts of cash and gold were shipped out of Baba's ashram.
Though the trust clarified that the cash was donated by a group of
devotees for building Baba's "samadhi", police have still not
solved the mystery behind the unaccounted money.
Following the row over the seized cash and the allegations by
devotees, the government stepped in. The district officials
inspected the rooms adjoining Yajur Mandir July 3 and found silver
and gold articles worth over Rs.76 lakh.
The second and third round of valuables have proved wrong the
initial claims by the trust that there were no more rooms left to
be inspected, say officials.
In the three rounds of inventory so far, nearly Rs.59 crore worth
gold, silver and cash has been recovered from Yajur Mandir and
adjoining rooms, say officials.
More cash, gold and silver is being found at a time when an expert
committee appointed by the state government is evaluating the
report submitted by the trust July 10.
The report was submitted by the trust after the government issued
a notice, asking it to provide all details of its finances,
activities, revenues, background of the trust members and
officials and future plans.
After evaluating the report, the government is likely to take a
decision on whether to take over the trust or set up a mechanism
to monitor the trust in view of the demands made by a section of
devotees.
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