Puttaparthi cash seizure: 3 accused get conditional bail

The magisterial court in Hindupur asked Harishnanda Shetty, Chandrashekhar Murthy alias Shekhar and engineer Sohan Shetty not to leave the town and appear before the police on alternate days till further orders.

All the three accused are under judicial remand in Hindupur sub-jail and had moved the court for bail yesterday.

Harishnanda Shetty was the driver of a four-wheeler that was transporting Rs 35.5 lakh which was confiscated during checking at Kodikonda check post under Chilamanthur police station limits bordering Karnataka on June 18.

Police initially arrested Harishnanda Shetty while another driver Chandrashekhar Murthy and one engineer Sohan Shetty were later arrested in connection with the seizure.
The cash was recovered a day after late Sathya Sai Baba's personal chamber 'Yajur Mandir' was opened at Prashanti Nilayam in Puttaparthi and it was disclosed that it contained 98 kg of gold, 307 kg of silver, apart from Rs 11.56 crore.

Police on Wednesday issued notices to two members of the Sathya Sai Central Trust including R J Ratnakar (who is nephew of late Sathya Sai Baba) and V Srinivasan to question them in connection with the cash seizure.

The two trustees were asked to present themselves before the investigating officer within three days from Wednesday, though both of them had sought time from Anantapur SP Shah Nawaz Qasim.

Meanwhile, one Venkatesh was today questioned as part of the probe, a senior police officer told PTI, adding Ratnakar would be questioned tomorrow while Srinivasan would be quizzed on Monday