Sai Trust member denies money trail

According to sources from Prashanti Nilayam and Puttaparthi: “Ratnakar has made it clear that the money did not belong to the trust as the reports stated.”

The Anantapur Police had seized the cash which was being transported in a vehicle allegedly belonging to the Sathya Sai Central Trust, and has detained the vehicle’s driver before registering the case with the Chilamathur police station.

The recovery of the money and reports over it belonging to the Trust has strengthened the apprehensions of a section of devotees who believed that huge amounts of cash and jewellery might have been smuggled out of Yajur Mandir even as the Baba was battling for his life.

Also, according to sources, a constable belonging to the Ananthpur Special Party police had, based on “concrete” tip off alerted his colleagues who took into custody two individuals and recovered a huge some of money, allegedly also belonging to the trust.

The seizure, they said, was made just outside Kothacheruvu Mandal in Ananthpur district, and that about a crore of rupees, was seized.

Police, however, refuted the reports. Speaking to Deccan Herald, DSP Narasimhalu said: “Why don’t you ask your reporter friends and television channels, they are the ones showing all this... There is no truth.”

However, source maintained that the seizure did take place.This newspaper’s attempts to contact Ratnakar, the district SP and the Collector of Anantapur were in vain.