Sathya Sai Trust members claim they knew nothing of the
treasures discovered in Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Baba's Yajurveda Mandir.
V Srinivasan and other members of the Trust today addressed a press conference, during which they also claimed that the Rs. 35 lakh that was being secretively hauled off to Bangalore was donor's money.
V Srinivasan said that the money belonged to devotees, and that it was given to a consultant for the construction of a maha samadhi of Sathya Sai Baba.
"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 the 'Maha Samadhi' work. The Trust has no connection with these funds," he said.
Srinivasan said that the Trust had no knowledge of the valuables found inside the Yajurveda Mandir. He said a detailed inventory of the valuables was made, and that it was deposited with the SBI. Income tax on the property is also being paid, he said.
He also said Baba had no property of his own, and that whatever was given to him by devotees was used for service towards the public, and police have also interrogated V Srinivasan and Sathya Sai Baba's nephew J Ratnakar about the alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Trust.
The AP government had instructed the Trust to furnish information on its activities, revenues and assets soon.