Cash Vehicles caught in Puttaparthi

With the confiscation of a van transporting Rs 35.5 lakh on Saturday night and reports of another vehicle carrying a whopping Rs 10 crore in the wee hours of Sunday, allegedly belonging to the Satya Sai Central Trust, doubts that the massive wealth owned by the Trust is not safe, have become stronger.

According to sources, the van was believed to have been carrying the Rs 35.5 lakh from the Yajur Mandir, the personal abode of the late Satya Sai Baba. However, Satya Sai Central Trust member RJ Ratnakar has denied that the money was in any way connected to the Trust.

Meanwhile, reports that another vehicle which was transporting about Rs 10 crore to Bangalore from Puttaparthi has been seized at Locharla near Kodikonda check post in Kothacheruvu mandal are coming in. However, these reports have not been confirmed by the police yet.

Besides this, the police have not yet released any official statement about the source of the money, apart from saying that investigation is going on. Meanwhile, the members of the Satya Sai Central Trust held an emergency meeting at the Yajur Mandir on Sunday morning and discussed the seizures.

Later, Mr Ratnakar issued a statement that there was no connection between the Trust and the seized money. It is believed that the Trust members took a decision to issue a statement regarding the seizures by Sunday evening.

Justice PL Bhagvati, RJ Ratnakar and SV Giri were present at the emergency meeting.There have been rumours that a massive horde of valuables and cash were removed from the Yajur Mandir even as the late seer was fighting for his life at the Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences. Satya Sai Baba was admitted to the SSSIHMS on March 28 and passed away on April 24.

Earlier, the Trust Members said that the as much 98 kg of gold, 307 kg of silver apart from Rs 11.56 crore in cash was stored in the Yajur Mandir. The Mandir was sealed after rumours started making rounds that it was being pillaged and its valuables shifted.