PUTTAPARTHI: While there seems to be no end to the amount of gold, silver, cash and precious stones inside Satya Sai Baba’s personal chamber called Yajur Mandir, inventories seem to have concluded for now at Prashanti Nilayam of the late spiritual leader.
The latest news on valuables found came to light on July 20 at Sri Satya Sai Central Trust’s plush Brindavan Ashram in Bangalore.
Trust’s media coordinator A Anantaraman says the inventory of all properties in the trust’s ashrams is complete with the ‘searches’ at the Trayee Brindavan in the Brindavan Ashram near Kadugodi in Bangalore. Trayee Brindavan is where Baba used to stay during his visits to the Karnataka capital.
Exactly 6.09 kg of gold in the form of mangala sutrams, coins and chain, 245.368 kg of sliver idols, dinner set and medallions and Rs 80,50,500 in cash were deposited in the Canara Bank’s Kadugodi branch.
He says the trust has paid a tax of Rs 4.81 crore based on the value of the inventory done on July 18 and 19 and will “very soon” pay wealth tax based on the inventory taken in Bangalore’s ashram. “Devotees gave Baba all the items,” he says, rubbishing reports that government agencies held the ‘searches’ in the ashram. Before the Trust taking found valuables at Brindavan Ashram in Whitefields of Bangalore, Anantapur district authorities led by district Collector V Durga Das inspected the rooms in Yajur Mandir and other edifices in the Ashram, that were not inspected earlier.
The inspection of the rooms conducted on July 18 and 19, district authorities had found Rs 36.85 lakh cash, 1.579 kg of gold and 1,161 kg of silver. The net worth of the valuables unearthed is estimated to be about Rs 15.19 crore.
Besides, a silver throne, gold and silver umbrellas, gold and silver ‘padukas’ and a diamond-studded bracelet were reportedly found in Sai Kulwanth Hall. Collector Durga Das says a suitcase containing Rs 25 lakh was found in the Purnachandra Auditorium.
Officials say a cellar filled with sand was found. “All the gold and silver,” the collector says, “are in the form of ornaments found in various covers inside the room. Searches were conducted in the presence of the Satya Sai Central Trust Members.”
Retired IAS officer GSRCV Varaprasad Rao has been appointed as secretary of the Satya Sai Central Trust. With former secretary of the trust K Chakravarthy being inducted as a member of the trust, the post has remained vacant.
Four new members including Chakravarthy were inducted into the Trust recently. Varaprasad Rao has worked as a State Panchayat Secretary before retiring in 2001. He joined the Satya Sai Seva wing in 2004 and belongs to West Godavari district.