Terming Baba the best magician of the world, Mamata Shankar, daughter of legendary dancing couple Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar, said: “His is a different magic altogether. Here is a magic that completely transforms a human being ... from his heart.”

“I have always said that I have deep respect for the Sai Baba phenomenon minus the tricks. He has done a lot of development work. In areas which do not have water, he has laid water pipelines. He founded hospitals and schools. These things are praise worthy,” Sorcar said.

When asked to comment on his first meeting and what turned him away from the spiritual leader, Sorcar chose not to rake up the past.

“At this moment, we should not say whether he is god or fraud; it’s immaterial now. We should not go into all this. He is god for millions and his disciples are in tremendous pain and sorrow. They are all my brothers and sisters. We say people go to heaven after death and he is there now.”