The HC okays Satya Sai Baba devotee K Ramesh's PIL for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities committed by Sri Satya Sai Baba Central Trust members.
A public interest petition has been filed in the High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged irregularities committed by some members of Sri Satya Sai Baba Central Trust, and into the demise of Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparthi in April last year.
Admitting the petition of K Ramesh - a Satya Sai Baba devotee and a businessman - for trial, the court asked him whether the Satya Sai Trust comes under the purview of Endowment Department, and posted the petition for the next hearing on the 17th.
In the petition, Ramesh has requested the court to direct the State Government to dissolve the present board, and create an autonomous body for the management of trust affairs on the lines of the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) by making suitable amendments to the provisions of the AP Endowments Act. He also sought a probe into the alleged financial irregularities of the Trust, including the incidents of transfer of cash from Prasanthi Nilayam after the declaration of the death of Satya Sai Baba. He requested that the probe be conducted under the direct supervision of the High Court.
Apart from this, he also wanted the court to appoint an ad hoc body consisting of a retired chief justice of any High Court to manage the affairs of the trust and to efficiently spend donations worth crores of rupees, and other valuables including gold, silver and diamonds, for charitable and religious schemes as envisaged by the Baba.
The petitioner observed that, as per an estimate of the IT Department, the Trust is worth more than Rs 40,000 crore as it has been running charitable schemes and institutions including an airport, a university complex, a super-specialty hospital, a general hospital, a hill-view stadium, an indoor sports stadium, a world religious museum, a planetarium, a music college and a complex at White Field in Bangalore. Besides these, there are about 1,200 Satya Sai Baba Centres in 180 countries engaged in health and cultural activities.
The court named the State’s Chief Secretary, the Secretary to Endowments, the DGP, the CBI and the Satya Sai Central Trust as respondents in the case, and asked them to file their counter petition in this regard by next Monday. (INN)