Under cloud over allegations of wrongdoing, Sri Satya Sai Central Trust today said the over Rs35 lakh recently seized by police belonged to devotees and the money was given to a consultant for construction of a memorial of Sai Baba.
Under cloud over allegations of wrongdoing, Sri Satya Sai Central Trust today said the over Rs35 lakh recently seized by police belonged to devotees and the money was given to a consultant for construction of a memorial of Sai Baba.
The Trust said it had no connection with the funds seized by Andhra Pradesh Police on the night of June 20 from a vehicle at Kodikonda checkpost under Chilamanthur police station bordering Karnataka.
A group of devotees had approached Trust member R Ratnakar, a nephew of Sai Baba, to contribute funds for the construction of 'Maha Samadhi' of the spiritual guru and they had given over Rs 35 lakh for the purpose, Trust member V Srinivasan said, maintaining that the Trust affairs are being conducted transparently.
The money was handed over to a Bangalore-based project consultant for construction of the 'Maha Samadhi' on June 18 and the car of the consultant was stopped en route to Bangalore by police and the money seized, he said.
The project consultant has filed a letter with the police explaining that the funds had been given to them and that the money should be released for carrying out the construction work, he said.
"The donors, who gave this money, have also filed affidavits in the court giving their bank numbers and saying that they have given the funds to Ratnakar for 'Maha Samadhi’ work. The Trust has no connection with these funds," he said.
Srinivasan and another Trust member Naganand were addressing a press conference here in the wake of allegations of irregularities in the affairs of the Trust.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is understood to have briefed governor ESL Narasimhan about the government action with regard to the Trust in the wake of alleged financial irregularities.
The chief minister drove to the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad for an unscheduled meeting with the Governor, after paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao at PV Ghat here on his 91st birth anniversary, officials said.
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