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Sathya Sai Baba, born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23 1926 — or later than 1927 — with the family name of "Ratnakaram", is a controversial South Indian guru controversially described as a godman and a miracle worker. Several allegations including of homosexual abuse , deciet, murder and economic offences surround Sathyanarayana Raju. A BBC Documentary notes that such controversies have persisted for at least 30 years .

The controversies were again brought to media attention when two long-term devotees( and authors of three books on Sai Baba, which they had removed from the market upon their discovery of abuse and deceit), David and Faye Bailey, published a document which they titled "The Findings.". The document carried testimony from many ex-devotees, including those who had held high positions in the organization, to the effect that the godman fakes his "materializations", doesn't magically heal the sick, and also testimonies from several victims of sexual-abuse and testimonies revealing economic foul-play in the organization. According to the BBC, "The scale of the abuse has caused alarm around the world... Governments around the world are deeply concerned and are beginning to take action warning their citizens about Sai Baba." The website of the American Embassy in Delhi, in what they confirm is a direct reference to Sai Baba, warns Americans visiting Andhra Pradesh of a "local religious leader" who reportedly engages in "inappropriate sexual behaviour" with young male devotees. The embassy states "most of the reports indicate that the subjects of these approaches have been young male devotees, including a number of U.S. citizens"

Sathya Sai Organization claims an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries world-wide. The number of Sathya Sai Baba adherents is estimated sometimes as around 6 million, and followers cite "50 to 100 million." Based on his own claims, followers consider him to be a reincarnation of the saint Sai Baba of Shirdi, however this has been strongly disputed.

Early life

Sathyanarayana Raju was born to Peddavenkama Raju and Eswaramma in a poor agrarian family in the remote village of Puttaparthi, located in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Little information is available on Raju's childhood other than anecdotal stories spread by devotees. For instance biographer and devotee Schulman wrote in 1971 that "for any episode of Baba's childhood, there are countless contrasting versions and, at this point, the author discovered that it was no longer possible to separate the facts from the legend".

An official four-volume biography, was written by Prof. Narayana Kasturi under the guidance of the godman. The biography claimed a cobra was found in the bedclothes of the baby shortly after Sathya Sai Baba was born which the book claimed led to his being identified as the "Lord of Serpents, Shesha" by the villagers. However, the devotee Arnold Schulman contradicts this story by reporting that Sai Baba's sister denied the presence of a cobra and that "the cobra was not found under the blanket, but several hours after Baba was born a cobra was seen outside the house." The young Sathyanarayana, the biography claims, was a vegetarian and was "known" for his aversion to animal cruelty.

At the age of eight, Satynanarayana Raju attended Higher Elementary School in Bukkapatnam.. After that he joined another High School at Uravakonda. The biography claims that on March 8, 1940, Satynanarayana Raju started behaving as if a scorpion had stung in his foot. He exhibited strange behaviour after this and entered a coma state. After some time, he got up and his behaviour worried his parents - he didn't want to eat, he would, the biography claims, keep silent for a long time, and some times "recite verses". In May 1940, he proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of the fakir and Saint Sai Baba of Shirdi (d. 1918) and subsequently took the fakir's name, Sai Baba. The biography goes on to claim that on 20 October 1940 at the age of 14, Sai Baba "threw away his books and announced", "My devotees are calling me. I have my work." He then spent the next three days under a tree in the garden of an excise inspector (government officer) and many people gathered around him. Baba taught them his bhajans( devotional songs that are sung out aloud in praise of minor Hindu deities or in praise of sai baba himself). Sai Baba claimed himself to be an "avatar". Sathya Sai Baba is listed in the 1942 school record of Bukkapatnam. In 1944 a mandir for followers of Sathya Sai Baba was built near the village which is now called the "old mandir"(old temple). The construction of Prashanthi Nilayam, the current ashram, was started in 1948.

In 1958, Sanathana Sarathi, the official magazine for the followers of Sathya Sai Baba, was published for the first time. In 1963, during a discourse to devotees, Baba made statements claiming to be a reincarnation of Shiva and Shakti. Baba's biography claimed that his next incarnation "Prema(love) Sai Baba" will be born in Mysore State.

In the late 1960s Sathya began to gain notoriety among Western spiritual seekers and reports of homosexual abuse of young male devotees have been covered by many documentaries including BBC's "The Secret Swami". Sathya traveled only once outside India to visit North East Africa in 1968.

In 1960, Sathya Sai Baba said that he would be in this "mortal human form" for another 59 years. In 2003 Michael Goldstein, an official of the Sathya Sai Organisation, reported that Baba had suffered an accident that injured his hip. As of 2008, he is wheelchair ridden.

Sathya Sai Baba had two sisters, one older brother (the late Seshama Raju) and a younger brother (late R.V.Janaki Ramaiah).

Beliefs and practices of followers

Ashrams and mandirs

Puttaparthi, where Sai Baba was born and still lives, was originally a small village where one can now find a University complex, Chaitanya Jyoti (a World-Religions Museum), a small Planetarium, a railway station, a hill-view stadium, an administrative building, an airport, an indoor sports stadium and more. Sathya Sai Baba resides much of the time in his main ashram( religious-retreat) called Prashanthi Nilayam (abode of peace) at Puttaparthi. Prashanthi Nilayam has found itself at the center of many controversies ,including the deaths of 6 close devotees of baba in 1993 - four of which happened in the baba's bedroom. In the hot summer Baba leaves for his other ashram called Brindavan in Kadugodi, Whitefield, a town on the outskirts of Bangalore. Occasionally, he visits his Sai Shruti ashram in Kodaikanal.

Sathya Sai Baba established three "temples" in India. The first center, established in Mumbai, is referred to as either "Dharmakshetra" or "Sathyam". The second center, established in Hyderabad, is referred to as "Shivam". The third center, established in Chennai, is referred to as "Sundaram".. Sundaram is famous for its bhajan group and they have released 54 volumes of cassettes and CD's as of now, with the 54th volume having bhajans sung by Baba.

The daily program at Sathya Sai Baba's ashrams usually begin with the chanting of "OM" and a morning prayer (Suprabatham). This is followed by Veda Parayan (chanting of the Vedas), nagarasankirtana (morning devotional songs) and twice a day bhajans and darshan(baba walks around or is wheel-chaired around amongst the gathered devotees). Particularly significant are the darshans during October (the Dasara holidays and November (the month of Sai Baba's birth).During darshan Sathya Sai Baba walks among his followers and may interact with people, accept letters, "materialize" and distribute vibhuti (sacred ash) or call groups or individuals for private interviews. Interviews are chosen solely by the godman's discretion. Followers consider it a great privilege to get an interview and sometimes a single person, group or family will be invited for a private interview. It is claimed by the Sathya Sai Organization that, that meeting the godman has spiritual benefits..

Purported "miracles"

In some books, magazines, filmed interviews and articles, Sathya Sai Baba's followers report miracles and healings of various kinds that they attribute to him. His purported 'miracle' works involve alleged vibuthi creation (hindu holy ash), and sometimes food and small objects such as rings, necklaces and watches.

Claims have been made by some devotees to the effect that vibuthi, kumkum, turmeric powder, holy water, Siva lingams, Sugar Candy, fruits, herbs, "amrita" (a sweet, sugar-water like substance), gems, colored string, writings in ash and various other substances "spontaneously appeared" on the walls, furniture, pictures and altars of Sathya Sai Baba . Note that these things are always seen "spontaneously appeared" while the process of "spontaneous appearance" has never been documented as been witnessed by any of these devotees.

Documentaries such as BBC's "The Secret Swami" and "Seduced by Sai Baba" telecast on Dutch national television have analyzed videos of purported miracles and state that they are but mere sleight of hand tricks. The dutch documentary "Seduced by Sai Baba" shows Sai Baba using the magician's trick of palming to "create" sacred ash. It shows Sai Baba hiding a compressed ash pill is between the fingers while deviating the audiences' attention and then crushing it down to ash while moving the hand around to keep the crushing of the pill from being seen.. The BBC documentary "The Secret Swami" draws attention to sai baba resorting to magician's tricks to "materialize" a "golden lingam" from his mouth.

The retired Icelandic psychology professor Erlendur Haraldsson wrote that he was not allowed by Sathya Sai Baba to study him under controlled circumstances. Nevertheless, he wrote, he investigated and documented the guru's alleged miracles and manifestations through first-hand interviews with devotees and ex-devotees. Haraldsson's research yielded many testimonies of purported miracles - inclusing materialization of vibuthi(holy ash), lost objects, statues, photographs, Indian pastries, banknotes, pendants, necklaces, watches and rings. Haraldsson wrote that the largest allegedly materialized object ( claimed by some devotees as "materialized") that he saw was a mangalsutra necklace, 32 inches long, 16 inches long on each side. According to Haraldsson, although healings certainly figure into Sai Baba's reputation, his impression is that healings do not play a prominent role in Sathya Sai Baba's activities.

Dale Beyerstein, Professor of Philosophy at The University of British Columbia, Canada, wrote: "the evidence seems overwhelming against taking the materialization claims seriously." Beyerstein commented that "The overwhelming evidence - given the film analysis, the loose anecdotal nature of the claims etc all point so definitely in this direction. Moreover the widespread claims of sexual hanky panky and the evidence of association with the gold business ... must be seriously entered into the overall picture." According to a 1994 article written by Alexandra Nagel, the 1992 work of the Canadian Professor convincingly negated supernatural stories of all kinds circulating about Sathya Sai Baba. In the 1995 TV documentary "Guru Busters", by UK's Channel 4, Sathya Sai Baba was accused of faking his materializations and a videotape was supplied alleging fraud. The same videotape was mentioned in the Deccan Chronicle, on November 23 1992, on a front page headline "DD Tape Unveils Baba Magic".

Sathya Sai Baba has claimed the phenomenon of materialization as divine creation, but has refused to have these investigated under controlled experimental conditions. Critics claim that these materializations are done by sleight of hand and question his claims to perform miracles and other paranormal feats. In April 1976, Dr. H. Narasimhaiah, a physicist, rationalist and then vice chancellor of Bangalore University, founded and chaired a committee "to rationally and scientifically investigate miracles and other verifiable superstitions". Haraldsson stated that Narasimhaiah wrote Sathya Sai Baba a polite letter and two subsequent letters that were widely publicized in which he publicly challenged Baba to perform his miracles under controlled conditions. Sathya Sai Baba said that he ignored Narasimhaiah's challenge because he felt his approach was improper. Sathya Sai Baba further said about the Narasimhaiah committee that "Science must confine its inquiry only to things belonging to the human senses, while spiritualism transcends the senses." According to Erlendur Haraldsson, the formal challenge from the committee came to a dead end because the skeptical attitude of the committee was obvious and perhaps because of all the fanfare involved. Narasimhaiah stated that he considered the fact that Sathya Sai Baba ignored his letters as one among several indications that his miracles are fraudulent. As a result of this episode, a public debate raged for several months in Indian newspapers. Narasimhaiah's committee was dissolved in August 1977.

The magazine India Today published in December 2000 a cover story about the Baba and the allegations of fake miracles quoting the magician P. C. Sorcar, Jr. who considered the Baba a fraud. Basava Premanand, a skeptic and amateur magician, asserted that he has been investigating Sathya Sai Baba since 1968 and emphatically believes the "guru" to be a cheater and charlatan. Premanand sued Sathya Sai Baba in 1986 for violation of the Gold Control Act for Sathya Sai Baba's purported "materializations" of gold objects. The case was dismissed, but Premanand appealed on the ground that claimed spiritual power is not a defence recognised in law.Premanand also displayed, in the 2004 BBC documentary Secret Swami, that he could duplicate some of the same acts that Sathya Sai Baba presents as miracles; such as materializations by sleight of hand and the production of a lingam from his mouth. The BBC documentary mentions that even some of Sathya Sai Baba's critics believe the claims of paranormal powers.

According to ex-devotee David Bailey, the author of three books on the baba and co-author of The Findings: "During darshan, Sai Baba carries vibhuti in tablet form between the third and fourth fingers of his right hand, with spare tablets in the hand holding up his robe. He crushes a tablet when required, and transfers tablets during the taking of letters. I have watched this happen innumerable times... Tablet-palming can be clearly seen on many videos, if slowed down to frame-by frame viewing, including in our wedding day interview video, used at the beginning of “God lives in India.” This video has been removed from sale by the Trust. Australian television, in it’s programme ’60 Minutes’ showed how these ‘B grade’ conjuring tricks are done." He says that "All powder vibhuti is produced by roasting cow dung with sandal wood, and manufactured vibhuti bought elsewhere, is then double sieved by ladies of the ashram seva dal, before being packaged for interview room distribution.". Bailey also states that the jewelery made by the baba are often "worthless trinkets" some of which "are bought in Puttaparthi village, but mainly they come from Bangalore and Hyderabad." He states that the jewels in these are often colored glass with silver paper pasted behind.

The British journalist Mick Brown discussed in his 1998 book that Sathya Sai Baba's claim of "resurrecting" the American Walter Cowan in 1971 was probably untrue. His opinion was based on the letters from attending doctors, provided in the Indian Skeptic magazine (published by Premanand). In this same book, Mick Brown also related his experiences with manifestations of vibuthi, from Sathya Sai Baba's pictures in houses in London, and felt that these miraculous manifestations were not fraudulent or the result of trickery. Brown wrote with regards to Sathya Sai Baba's claims of omniscience, that "skeptics have produced documentation clearly showing discrepancies between Baba's reading of historical events and biblical prophecies and the established accounts."

In October 2007, Baba reportedly announced that he would "appear on the moon" and asked devotees to proceed to the local airport. The miracle failed to happen and the baba and his devotees turned back after waiting for an hour. Police officers found it difficult to disperse the utterly disappointed crowd and no explanation was offered by the Sai Trust for the failure of the miracle. Rationalists claimed the publicity was an attempt to boost the Baba's waning popularity.

Recently many videos, such as this have come up exposing how he does his tricks.

Teachings

Sathya Sai Baba gives "discourses" on "religious topics" in his native language Telugu to devotees. The devotee's focus is on worship, in singing devotional song in praise of the godman and conducting rites invoking and praising Sai Baba - which involve arti - which is performed by devotees in front of his picture, twice daily. Sai Baba preaches in his discourses "love" and the "unity of all world religions" and asserts that people who follow him do not need to give up their original religion. His followers view his teachings as syncretic (uniting all religions).

Sai organization claims to advocate five values: sathya (truth), dharma (Hindu word for right conduct), ahimsa (non-violence), prema (love for God and all his creatures) and shantih (peace).

Other claimed teachings are:

• Service and charity (seva) to others.
• Love for all creatures and objects.
• Putting a ceiling on one's desires is sadhana.
• Celibacy after age of fifty.
• Vegetarianism, moderate and sattvik diet.
• Abstinence from drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and taking drugs.
• Meditation (dhyan). Baba teaches four techniques: repetition of the 'name of God'( "Sai" or "Sai Baba") , visualizing the form of God(often on sai baba's physical form), sitting in silence, and jyoti (Flame/Light meditation).
• Importance of bhakti (devotion) to Sai Baba.
• Developing "prashanti"( vaguely translates to carefree-ness) and eschewing vices of character.
• Japa(ritual chanting of Baba's name) and other sadhana (spiritual exercise) to foster devotion.
• Highly committed devotees use the phrase "Sai Ram" as a salutation.
• Conducting pooja or aarti( a form of ritual worship) twice daily in front of Baba photos
• At the ashram frequent "yagnas" or ritual worship involving ritual sacrifices of vegetable matter and ghee to a pyre is conducted for the baba.

Raising of funds

Central to the activities if the Sai organization is raising of funds which, the organization claims, are used for charity. According to an article by the Indian news-agency Thehelka, all donations to the Sathya Sai Central Trust have been given tax exemptions and the total value of the Sai Baba's recorded assets, movable and immovable, both within the country and abroad, is Rs 5,000 crores( approx. 1 Billion USD), "give or take a bit". The article states that every year, the Sathya Sai Central Trust is bloated with donations worth approximately Rs 65 crore. It also has about Rs 130 crore in fixed deposits (FD) and other term deposits all over the world. The trust has so far raised about Rs 385 crore in the form of loans for some of the Sai Baba's projects.

According to The Times:"Sai Baba is being challenged on another more prosaic front. Questions are being asked about the fundraising techniques employed by his followers. Some are accused of targeting vulnerable rich people and claiming that the miracle worker might be able to cure the afflictions of old age." The Times reported on the case of Clarissa Mason, the second wife of the film star James Mason: "When Clarissa died of cancer in 1994, she willed a large part of her late husband's £13 million estate to the cult, although, due to a dispute with Mason's children, Portland and Morgan, who contend that the estate was not hers to will in the first place, it will be some time before the cult can hope to see any of the Mason millions. Clarissa Mason believed utterly in the powers of Sai Baba, filling her house near Lake Geneva with pictures of the "godman". Her legacy has gone to a trust whose beneficiaries are believed by Mason's children to include a follower of Sai Baba." Joseph Edamaruku states: " He raises enormous amounts of money from India and around the world. We do not believe claims that it is spent on hospitals and charitable works."

The Baileys note that while tens of millions of dollars are collected for each project, "It is a common practice at retreats and meetings, for new devotees to be told that Sai Baba does not need donations." They note that there is a huge global fund-raising after people are indoctrinated with such statements.In 1997, Australian national television ‘60 Minutes’ critically investigated Sai Baba's "super-speciality-hospital" for which just one of the many donations given was US$ 49,000,000.00. According to the Baileys, "names of many other large benefactors are listed in the hospital reception area, making the funds donated for this complex absolutely mind boggling."

Controversies and reports of criminal conduct

Murders in ashram

On June 6, 1993 six deaths happened in Sai baba's ashram. Four young devotees, all close to sai baba, entered the ashram armed with knives. Some say the purpose was to meet baba and warn him of corruption in the ashram other say it was to kidnap or murder him. As they approached they were stopped by four of sai baba's atttendants. In the struggle that followed, two of his attendants were killed and the other two injured. Hearing the commotion sai baba escaped through a back stairway and raised the alarm. Heavily armed police arrived at the scene. The boys ran and locked themselves up in sai baba's bedroom. What followed is highly disputed. The police version claimed that when the room was opened the boys charged at the police with daggers so they were all shot dead. A Central Investigation Department report states that the official police report is riddled with lies and inconsistencies. V.P.B. Nair, Former Secretary to the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh, who comes from a police background, states that the police report was riddled with lies and that the killing of the four boys were "absolute cold-blooded murder" . He points out that two or three daggers are no match for armed police so the story of all four boys being shot-dead in self-defence seems far-fetched. He notes that several inconsistencies were present in the police reports. Commentators note that for armed police to disarm the assailants would have been elementary. Priddy notes, "the youths could have been disarmed or - at worst - shot to disable them, if they had actually threatened the police"

Another witness to the murders was a 14 year old boy 'Subbapayya' who happened to be in Baba's room when the assailants entered. The Indian Express (13-6-1993) states that according to police reports, the boy, in his early teens, was in Sai Baba's room when the assailants knocked saying there was a telegram for Sai Baba and he opened the door. They attempted to attack him, but the dagger only penetrated his shirt and he escaped unharmed. He bolted the door and alerted Baba to the impending danger. However, writes the Express, "what sounds illogical is that if Subbappayya had closed the door and bolted it from behind, how could the alleged assailants enter Baba's personal chambers after attacking the four guards on the ground floor? There are no indications of the alleged assailants or somebody applying pressure on the doors to open them. The police have taken Subbapayya's torn shirt into their possession... The investigating officers are tight-lipped to the question as to how the assailants could get into Baba's chamber." The CID interrogated Subbappayya twice, despite the ashram authorities demanding they present a valid authority to do so.

Analysts such as Basava Premanand also state that the there too many inconsistencies in the official story. All four boys had been shot at several times - which would be absolutely unnecessary if the purpose were to just disarm them. He notes that abrasions and marks apparently inflicted by beating were found on the boy's bodies which are also inconsistent with the initial police reports. One of the boys, Jagganatham had been shot through the palm and two places in the chest at close range. Another of the purported assailants, Suresh Kumar, had been shot in the left eye( to the brain ), right thigh and left wrist.

All four purported assailants were ex-students of Sai School and close devotees of Sai Baba. Shortly thereafter, Gallagher resigned his position and quit the organization. R.R. Gogineni, The Former General Secretary of Rationalist Association of India states that all the people killed were part of the inner circle of Sai Baba, and among them was Radha Krishna Menon,the personal assistant who had apparently been caught on video "passing the necklace clandestinely to Baba."

British Broadcasting Corporation's investigative journalist Tanya Dutta states, in the BBC documentary "The Secret Swami": "Some police officers were arrested but never charged. The case was eventually dropped. Sai Baba has always had a close relationship with the police. Even today, senior officers are special guests at the Ashram. With friends in such high places Sai Baba seems to be untouchable. Any attempt to investigate the goings-on at his Ashram - even, murder - appear doomed to failure. Critics say police connections ensured that Sai Baba wasn’t even interviewed, despite being one of the witnesses to the events of that night. Indian journalists were censored and their stories suppressed."

Telly Gallagher, who had then been holding the position of 'Central Coordinator of Sathya Sai Organisation'in Australia for three years, states : "It wasn’t until 1993, following the assassination attempt on Sai Baba, resulting in the murder of four college students and two assistants in the Mandir, that we made our last visit to India. The purpose of this visit was to find the reason why former students of Sai Baba’s college would want to kill him, particularly when they had been given a free education! The eye witness accounts were horrific! After bursting into the Mandir, four students found themselves trapped upstairs where Sai Baba was staying. Each was interrogated by police, then one at a time they were executed! The stench of death was everywhere. I made further inquiries about Sai Baba having sexual relations with college boys and male students - some of these as young as seven years of age - and whether this was the reason for former students wanting to kill him. I was told, to my horror, that this was an acceptable Indian practice! I felt sick, and just wanted to take my family and leave the ashram and India as quickly as possible." Shortly thereafter, Gallagher resigned his position and quit the organization.

Other analysts also opine that Sai Baba was directly involved in the murders. Sanal Edamaruku states the initial purpose of the boys trying get to Sai Baba was apparently to threaten him to stop abusing children or to murder him for doing so. Based on his research, he states: "A policeman who was working at the police station in Puttaparthi at that time told me that the boys had come there and said to Sai Baba: 'Now there will be a bit of a stop to these sexual assaults on small boys.' Sai Baba then locked them in - he was angry – locked them in, went and pressed the alarm button for the police. The police came and they received the go-ahead from Sai Baba to take over the matter, and they could hear the boys up in Sai Baba’s bedroom and living room for four hours. And later the police thought it so dangerous to let them out to the people who were waiting outside that they quite simply executed them after four hours of interrogation."

The incident was widely published in the Indian press. Sai Baba, on July 3,1993, dismissed the reason as "jealousy" among his followers, without giving any more details or explanations of the events. The former Secretary of the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh, V.P.B. Nair, is now trying to re-investigate the case.One of India's leading newspapers, The Hindu, reported that commenting upon the murders at the time, the International Chairman of Sai Baba’s Organization and a member of the Sathya Sai Central Trust, Indulal Shah, stated to pressmen: “…the matter is purely internal and we do not wish to have any law enforcement agency investigating into it.” Analysts such as Premanand have expressed their outrage at the fact that sai baba was never questioned or interviewed.

Discrepancies

Analysts point to several discrepancies, including:

• The refusal of the ashram and Sathya Sai Central Trust authorities to lodge any complaint on the six murders in Baba’s quarters.

• The video film and colour photo negatives and positives of the bodies and crimes scene asked for by the Puttaparthi police were later impounded by them. (However, despite this, colour prints have survived and have been published). The photos show a blood-stained lathi (police baton), pieces of rope in blood pools around two of the bodies, while the other two bodies have no blood around them.

• Suppression of the news of the murders by the police for 12 hours, of the post mortem reports until after cremation, and of trying to refuse access to the press to the FIR (First Incident Report), which later proved to be wholly uncorroborated and obviously false on many specific counts. The mandatory magisterial probe and the CBI (Criminal Bureau of Investigation) reports were not completed and nothing of substance was made public, while the entire murder investigation was closed down by a confidential Government order, the remaining evidence of which is that no charges have been registered and no official report has ever appeared.

• Refusal by Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi, ashram authorities to allow the two injured attendants (A. Patley and V. Bhatt) whom they kept under heavy security to give evidence (except in secret to the CID) and attempt - by removal of him to a secret location - to cover up the inexplicable and unexplained existence of a boy student in his early teens (Subbappaypa) in Sai Baba’s room who opened the door and gave him the alarm. The CID interrogated Subbappayya twice, despite the ashram authorities demanding they present a valid authority to do so.

• Failure to secure material evidence such as bullets fired by the police, and the concealment of material evidence like photos of actual and alleged injuries, the bedding of Sai Baba and the four assailants who were to sleep on guard at the Puttaparthi mandir (Sai Baba’s residence where the events occurred) that night.

• No explanation as to why the bodies of the guards killed were found on the ground floor, when the assailants had reportedly crept up to the 1st floor and knocked at Sai Baba’s door claiming to deliver a supposed telegram. Nor would the investigators explain how the alleged assailants entered Sai Baba’s quarters when the door had already been bolted from inside (by either Subbappayya or by Sai Baba).

• Evidence from crime scene photographs, scars and beating marks evident on images of the dead bodies, along with blood stained batons and ropes seen in the images, according to analysts, strongly suggest that the boys had probably been tied up and beaten before being executed.

Political row

In January 2007, Sathya Sai Baba found himself embroiled in a political row after his remarks opposing the proposed partition of Andhra Pradesh as a "great sin", claiming that there was no demand from the people to bifurcate the state into Telangana and Andhra states. The comments caused an outcry among pro-Telangana activists who angrily voiced their protests in street marches and attacks on the Sivam building, Sathya Sai Baba's temple in Hyderabad, which was staffed by a few followers. Shouting anti-Sai Baba slogans, the protestors pulled down a large picture of the holy man and trampled on it before taking it outside and setting it on fire. An effigy of Sathya Sai Baba was also reported to have been burnt, and twenty protestors were arrested following several police complaints.

A number of political figures criticised Sathya Sai Baba including K. Chandrasekhar Rao, leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and former Union Minister, who suggested that Sathya Sai Baba should restrict himself to religious functions and not involve himself in politics. Sai Baba's followers responded by calling a 'bandh' in which shops and business establishments were shut down to protest against the remarks of the Telangana leaders, and effigies of the critics were set alight. K. Kesava Rao, President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, maintained that Sathya Sai Baba's comments had been "misinterpreted" and that the remark was not political. Digvijay Singh, Congress secretary-general, disagreed with suggestions that Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy could have instigated Sathya Sai Baba to make his statement, and confirmed that his party approved plans for the creation of a separate Telangana state. "With due respect to Sai Baba we can say that the work for setting up the second state reorganisation commission will go on," he said.

References

1. ^ Edwards, Linda (2001). A Brief Guide to Beliefs: Ideas, Theologies, Mysteries, and Movements. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 137. ISBN 0664222595.
2. ^ Lewis, James R. (Editor) (2002). The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions:Second Edition. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-88-7. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help); Check |isbn= value: length (help)
3. Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) Een mysterieuze ontmoeting... :Sai Baba en mentalist Wolf Messing published in Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie 368, vol. 72 nr 4, December 2005, pp. 14-17 (Dutch language)
4. Haraldsson, Erlendur, An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, Prashanti Nilayam, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1
5. ^ BBC Documentary: The Secret Swami
6. Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (Vol. 2 N-Z). New York: Rosen. ISBN 0-8239-2287-1.
   Hindu religious figure of the type known a avatar, godman (pg 583)
7. ^ Kasturi, Narayana. Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (Vol. 1). Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust. ISBN 81-7208-127-8.Available online
8. *Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) Een mysterieuze ontmoeting... :Sai Baba en mentalist Wolf Messing published in Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie 368, vol. 72 nr 4, December 2005, pp. 14-17 (Dutch language)
   *Haraldsson, Erlendur, Miracles are my visiting cards - An investigative inquiry on Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian mystic with the gift of foresight believed to perform modern miracles (1997 revised and updated edition published by Sai Towers, Prasanthi Nilayam, India) ISBN 81-86822-32-1 page 55: "They carried the family name of Ratnakara and belonged to the Raju caste "
   *Menon, Amarnath K. (2000-12-04). "A God Accused". India Today. Retrieved 2007-12-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help):
   *Woodhead, Linda. Religion in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformation. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-21784-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
   *Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (Vol. 1). Rosen. ISBN 0-8239-3179-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Entry: "Godman"
   *Hummel, Reinhart (1984). "Guru, Miracle Worker, Religious Founder: Sathya Sai Baba". Dialog Center. Retrieved 2007-12-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help): "People's motives for that journey are often serious or incurable diseases, for Sai Baba has an unrivaled reputation as a miracle worker."
9. Untouchable, by Michelle Goldberg
10. Goldberg, Michelle Untouchable 25 July 2001
11. Consular Information Sheet - India, Released by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, on January 19, 2007, U.S. Department of State
12. The Sai Organization: Numbers to Sai Centers and Names of Countries
    "The inspiration of Sathya Sai Baba's example and message of unselfish love and service has resulted in the establishment of over 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba Centers in 114 countries throughout the world."
13. *Nagel, Alexandra "De Sai Paradox: Tegenstrijdigheden van en rondom Sathya Sai Baba"/"The Sai Paradox contradictions of and surrounding Sathya Sai Baba" from the magazine "Religieuze Bewegingen in Nederland, 'Sekten' "/"Religious movements in the Netherlands, 'Cults/Sects' ", 1994, nr. 29. published by the Free University Amsterdam press, (1994) ISBN 90-5383-341-2 reports the following estimates: Beyerstein (1992:3) : 6 million; Riti & Theodore (1993:31): 30 million; Sluizer (1993:19): 70 million; Van Dijk (1993:30) "between 50 and 100 million."
    *Adherents cites Chryssides, George. Exploring New Religions. London, UK: Cassells (1999) (10 million)
    *Brown, Mick (2000-10-28). "Divine Downfall". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-03-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)"The guru Sai Baba has left India only once, yet his devotees across the world are estimated at up to 50 million."
    *Edwards, Linda (2001). A Brief Guide to Beliefs: Ideas, Theologies, Mysteries, and Movements. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 0664222595. (venerated by hundreds of millions in India and abroad)
14. Chennai Online, "Sri Sathya Sai Baba : A living Devil" by Ramakrishnan R, Available online
15. Schulman, Arnold (1971). Baba. Viking Press. pp. 122–124. ISBN 0-670-14343-X.
    According to him, contrasting versions about Baba's childhood may be due to the fact that he needed interpreters to interpret other interpreters (as in the case of his interview with Baba's sister). Schulman concluded that what the translators said may well have been quite different from what was actually said.
16. Brown, Mick (2000-10-28). "Divine Downfall". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-12-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    
17. Kent, Alexandra (2001). Divinity and Diversity: A Hindu Revitalization Movement in Malaysia. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. p. 37. ISBN 8791114403.
    "The birth was symbolically marked by a frog in the bedclothes "
18. Schulman, Arnold (1971). Baba. Viking Press. pp. 122–124. ISBN 0-670-14343-X.
    "One of Baba's two sisters, however, who claims to have been present at his birth, says that the cobra was not found under the blanket, but several hours after Baba was born a cobra was seen outside the house, a sight not uncommon in the village."
19. ^ Murphet, Howard (1977). Man of Miracles. Weiser. ISBN 0877283354.
20. Babb, Lawrence A. (1983). "Sathya Sai Baba's Magic" (PDF). Anthropological Quarterly. 56 (3). Washington DC: The George Washington University Institute for Ethnographic Research: 116–124. doi:10.2307/3317305. Retrieved 2007-12-18.: "In 1940, at the age of fourteen, he proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of the celebrated Sai Baba of Shirdi-a saint who became famous in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."
21. Padmanaban, Ranganathan (2000). Love Is My Form (Vol. 1: The Advent). Sai Towers Publishing. pp. 68, 132–133, 147. ISBN 8186822763.
22. ^ Bowen, David (1988). The Sathya Sai Baba Community in Bradford: Its origins and development, religious beliefs and practices. Leeds: University Press. ISBN 1871363020.
23. Available online Shiva Shakthi, Gurupournima Day, 6 July 1963, (Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Speaks III 5, 19.)
24. "Interview with Blitz journalist - September 1976". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
    
25. Kasturi, Narayana (1973). Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part II: The Life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust. pp. 88–89. ISBN 81-7208-127-8.
    
26. Kasturi, Narayana, "Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram", ISBN 1-57836-077-3
27. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. I, 31:198; Prashanthi Nilayam (29-9-1960) Sathya Sai Geetha iii Available online (pdf file)
28. SSB in wheelchair
29. "Sathya Sai Baba's younger brother dies" (CMS). Times of India. 2003-10-18. Retrieved 2007-12-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
30. "Satya Saibaba's brother passes away" (HTML). The Hindu. 2003-10-18. Retrieved 2007-12-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
31. Places to see at Puttaparthi. Referenced from official Sathya Sai Organization website, Available online
32. Deccan Herald: "Sathya Sai's birthday celebrations on" by Terry Kennedy, November 23 2005, Available online
33. The ashrams of Sathya Sai Baba. Referenced from the official Sathya Sai Organization website, Available online
34. Sathyam, Shivam and Sundaram Mandirs On Official radiosai.org website Available online
35. ^ The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions:Second Edition, Editor, James R. Lewis, 2002, ISBN 1-57392-88-7
36. Hummel, Reinhart Guru, Miracle Worker, Religious Founder: Sathya Sai Baba article in Update IX 3, Sept. 1985, originally published in German in Materialdienst der EZW, 47 Jahrgang, 1 February 1984 (retrieved 20 Feb. 2007)
    
37. ^ Babb, Lawrence A. (2000) . Redemptive Encounters: Three Modern Styles in the Hindu Tradition. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press Inc. ISBN 1577661532. OCLC 45491795. LCCN 85-0 – 0.
38. ^ Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) "De Sai Paradox: Tegenstrijdigheden van en rondom Sathya Sai Baba"/"The Sai Paradox contradictions of and surrounding Sathya Sai Baba" from the magazine "Religieuze Bewegingen in Nederland, 'Sekten' "/"Religious movements in the Netherlands, 'Cults/Sects' ", 1994, nr. 29. published by the Free University of Amsterdam press, (1994) ISBN 90-5383-341-2
    English "For example, he materializes vibuthi constantly."
    Dutch original "Vibhuti bijv. materialiseert hij aan de lopende band."
39. Nair, Yogas, "Raisins, ash raise eyebrows", The Post April 19 2006, Available online
40. Kent, Alexandra Divinity and Diversity: a Hindu revitalization movement in Malaysia, Copenhagen Nias Press, first published in 2005, ISBN 8791114403, page 125
41. Dutch National Television Documentary: Seduced by Sai Baba
42. Haraldsson, op. cit, pp. ??
43. Haraldsson, op. cit, pp. 43
44. Haraldsson, op. cit., pp 231, 239-241
45. Nagel, Alexandra (note: Nagel is a critical former follower) "De Sai Paradox: Tegenstrijdigheden van en rondom Sathya Sai Baba"/"The Sai Paradox contradictions of and surrounding Sathya Sai Baba" from the magazine "Religieuze Bewegingen in Nederland, 'Sekten' "/"Religious movements in the Netherlands, 'Cults/Sects' ", 1994, nr. 29. published by the Free University Amsterdam press, (1994) ISBN 90-5383-341-2
46. Haraldsson, op. cit., pp. 295-301
47. Haraldson, op. cit, pp 204-205
48. ^ Cite error: The named reference blitz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
49. Haraldsson, pp 209
50. Haraldsson, op. cit., pp. 206
51. India Today, "A God Accused", December 04, 2000 Available online
52. Datta, Tanya (17 June 2004). "Sai Baba: God-man or con man?" (html). BBC News. Retrieved 2007-02-24. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
    "In 1986, he was arrested by the police for marching to Puttaparthi with 500 volunteers for a well-publicised confrontation with Sai Baba. Later that year, he took Sai Baba to court for violating the Gold Control Act for claims of producing gold necklaces out of "thin air" without the permission of a Gold Control Administrator.
    When his case was dismissed, Mr Premanand appealed on the grounds that spiritual power is not a defence recognised in law.
53. Secret Swami BBC TV documentary, June 2004, Transcript available online
54. ^ The Findings, co-authored by The Baileys
55. Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist 1998 Bloomsbury publishing ISBN 1-58234-034-X Chapter In the House of God pp. 73 - 74
56. Hislop, John S. My Baba and I 1985 published by Birth Day Publishing Company, San Diego, California ISBN 0-960-0958-8-8 chapter The Resurrection of Walter Cowan pages 28-31 available online
57. Narayna Kasturi "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" Volume I 1961 "Chapter "Moves in His Game"
    "He brought Walter Cowan back from the region beyond death because, as He said, "he has not completed the work he has to do." Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, ISBN 81-7208-127-8 "available online
58. Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist 1998 Bloomsbury publishing ISBN 1-58234-034-XChapter In the House of God pp. 73 - 74
59. Brown Mick, The Spiritual Tourist, Ch: The Miracle In North London, pp. 29-30, 1998 ISBN 1-58234-034-X See Miracles, Claims and Ashrams section.
60. Brown, Mick The Spiritual Tourist 1998 Bloomsbury publishing ISBN 1582340013 Chapter In the House of God pp. 73
61. IANS (2007-10-04). "Sai Baba's 'moon miracle' fails". Indiatimes.Com. Retrieved 2007-12-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
62. Sai Baba Tricks Completely Exposed
63. ^ Babb, Lawrence A. (2000) . Redemptive Encounters: Three Modern Styles in the Hindu Tradition. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press Inc. pp. 198–199. ISBN 1577661532. OCLC 45491795. LCCN 85-0 – 0. "Sathya Sai Baba is, among other things, is considered a teacher by dovetees. The devotee's focus is on worship, in singing devotional song in praise of Sathya and conducting rites invoking and praising Sai Baba - which involve arti - which is performed by devotees in front of his picture, twice daily. He frequently gives "discourses", now compiled in several volumes. He usually speaks in Telugu, and before a Hindi-speaking audience an interpreter is required. One of his most characteristic rhetorical devices is the ad hoc (and often false) etymology. For example, he has stated that Hindu means 'one who is nonviolent' by the combination of hinsa (violence) and dur (distant)."
64. ^ The Baker Pocket Guide to New Religions, by Nigel Scotland , 2006, ISBN 0-8010-6620-4
65. Cite error: The named reference priddy1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
66. Sathya Sai Central Trust: grab as grab can, M Seetha Shailaja
67. Cite error: The named reference times1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
68. Janakiramiah, Sai Baba’s blackmailing younger brother, Robert Priddy
69. Excerpt from the Indian Express. 13-6-1993.
70. Analysis of 1993 Murders Discrepancies by Robert Priddy
71. ^ Analysis by Bhasava Premanand of the 1993 Murders
72. The Findings. An investigative report and collection of incriminating testimony complied by The Baileys.
73. ^ The Findings. Terry Gallagher - A Letter to the Baileys.
74. SATYA SAI BABA. Retelling The Story, Babu R.R. Gogineni Former General Secretary of Rationalist Association of India
75. Interview of Sana Edamaruku for Danish TV Documentary: "Seduced by Sai Baba"
76. Guru Purnima Discourse, July 3 1993, Keep Truth as Your Aim: Available online
77. Quoted from a report in India's leading Daily The Hindu, 10-6-1993
78. Sathya Sai Bedroom Murders: Severe Anomalies, Robert Priddy
79. "Telangana activists upset with Sai Baba". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 19 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
80. "Spiritual guru criticised for opposing statehood for Telangana region". gulf-times.com. Retrieved 19 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
81. "Cong ignores Sai Baba's remarks". timesofindia.com. Retrieved 19 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

See also

• Bibliography of Sathya Sai Baba
• Bibliography of books about Sathya Sai Baba

External links

• Online Resource: Sathya Sai Speaks Series

Template:ModernDharmicWriters

• Sathya Sai Baba
• 1926 births
• Indian religious leaders
• Hindu gurus
• Hindu saints
• Living people
• People claiming to have psychokinetic abilities
• Supernatural healing
• People considered avatars by their followers