1993 murders in Prasanthi Nilayam

Last updated

On June 6, 1993 there was an assassination attempt on Sai Baba's life. While reports vary, the official narrative is that four men (devotees) entered Sai Baba's residence under the premise of wanting to give him a telegram. When their path was obstructed, they stabbed two of the Baba's assistants to death, injuring two others. [1] Hearing the commotion Sai Baba sounded the alarm and police were dispatched to his residence. Upon arriving, the police said the four youths had locked themselves in Sai Baba's living room and the officers tried to break the door down. "The four were shot when they opened the door and attacked the police." [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Sai Baba remained unharmed during the incident, [1] and later in a discourse cleared things up saying there was no bid on his life. [4]

Many aspects of the event remain ambiguous and unresolved. Inspector Reddy (of the Puttaparthi recalls thinking Swami (Sai Baba) was dead and telling his officers to shoot but could never explain the big time gap between the four men locking themselves in the living room and their shooting. Some say that influential persons in the ashram ordered their deaths. Janakiram, Sai Baba's brother, told India Today, "If we allowed them (the assailants) to live, some Ram Jethmalani-like lawyer would have come and rescued them." [5]

Two of the initial assailants escaped and were captured a month later. They told investigators "that they had no intention of killing Baba but to inform him about some trust members who wanted to usurp his powers." [4] Anantpur Superintendent of Police K. Subbanna, said: "It is obvious that this is a conspiracy with a very big dimension." [1]

Another concern for Sai Baba's immediate safety arose on January 17, 2002 when an unknown man (later identified as Somasundaram) entered the Whitefield Ashram with an air pistol. He was apprehended by volunteers and handed over to police without incident. [8]

Mr. Indulal Shah, chief functionary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust was quoted in the press as stating "the matter is purely internal and we do not wish to have any law enforcement agency investigating into it." [9] However, it is currently unknown whether the murdered men were targets or assailants. [5]

Intruder incident analysis

The incident was widely published in the Indian press. In the BBC documentary it was stated that "some police officers were arrested but were never charged and that the case was eventually dropped." [6] The police version claimed that the assailants charged at the police with daggers and were all shot dead. A Central Bureau of Investigation report stated that the official police report was riddled with lies and inconsistencies. [6] V.P.B. Nair (Former Secretary to the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh) also opined that the official police report contained inconsistencies. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sathya Sai Baba</span> Indian spiritual guru (1926–2011)

Sathya Sai Baba was an Indian guru and philanthropist. At the age of 14, he said he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and left his home saying "my devotees are calling me, I have my work."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puttaparthi</span> Town in Andhra Pradesh, India

Puttaparthi is a municipality and district headquarters of Sri Sathya Sai district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Puttaparthi mandal of Puttaparthi revenue division. The original name of Puttaparthi was Gollapalli. The town is located on the banks of Chitravathi River which is a tributary of Penna River, and is surrounded by undulating hills. It is widely known for the birthplace and deathplace of the Indian spiritual leader and guru Sathya Sai Baba and his ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prasanthi Nilayam</span>

Prasanthi Nilayam is the main ashram and Samadhi Mandir of Sathya Sai Baba located in the town of Puttaparthi in, Sri Sathya Sai district Andhra Pradesh, India. Sathya Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi. "Prasanthi Nilayam" means literally "Abode of the Highest Peace." Sathya Sai Baba gave daily darshan to his devotees in this ashram. Sathya Sai Baba was usually present in Prasanthi Nilayam from early June to the middle of March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basava Premanand</span> Indian skeptic and rationalist (1930–2009)

Basava Premanand was an Indian skeptic and rationalist from Kerala, India. He organised many tours around rural India for the promotion of scientific thinking, exposing alleged miracles and scams carried out by various charlatans and godmen while spreading awareness of dangerous superstitions. Premanand was the founder of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, the convener of Indian CSICOP, and the owner-publisher-editor of the monthly magazine The Indian Skeptic, which investigates paranormal claims in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Russia</span>

Hinduism has been spread in Russia primarily due to the work of scholars from the religious organization International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and by itinerant Swamis from India and small communities of Indian immigrants. While ISKCON appears to have a relatively strong following in Russia, the other organizations in the list have a marginal presence in this country. There is an active Tantra Sangha operating in Russia. According to the 2012 official census, there are 140,010 Hindus in Russia, which accounts for 0.1% of the population of Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishnudevananda Saraswati</span> Founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams

Vishnudevananda Saraswati was an Indian yoga guru known for his teaching of asanas, a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams (ISYVC). He established the Sivananda Yoga Teachers' Training Course, possibly the first yoga teacher training programs in the West. His books The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga (1960) and Meditation and Mantras (1978) established him as an authority on Hatha and Raja yoga. Vishnudevananda was a peace activist who rode in several "peace flights" over places of conflict, including the Berlin Wall prior to German reunification.

Sri Sathya Sai Airport is located at Puttaparthi in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The airport is named after Sathya Sai Baba, a spiritual guru and philanthropist. It is a small airport with facilities for chartered flights rather than commercial aircraft. The airport was inaugurated in 1990 to serve the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences during emergency situations. The airport's 1000-metre-long airstrip and terminal building were constructed by L&T ECC. The runway was later extended to enable the operation of larger jet aircraft.

The Sathya Sai Baba movement is a new religious movement inspired by South Indian Neo-Hindu guru Sathya Sai Baba who taught the unity of all religions. Some of his followers have faith in his claim to be a purna Avatar of Shiva and Shakti, who is believed to have been predicted in the Bhagavad Gita. This means that some of his followers see him as a God. Devotees engage in singing devotional songs called "bhajans" and selfless service (seva). Its official organization is the Sathya Sai Organization. However the Sathya Sai Baba movement extends beyond the organization. An important aspect of the faith of adherents is the miracles attributed to Sathya Sai Baba. The number of adherents is estimated between 6 and 100 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Nigeria</span>

Hinduism spread to Nigeria mainly by arrival of Hindus from India and by way of ISKCON. Sindhis were the first to arrive in Nigeria in the early part of the nineteenth century. Initially, they were primarily engaged in trading but gradually, while retaining their interest in trading, they ventured into other fields such as manufacturing and professional services. In succeeding decades, they made substantial investments, aggregating more than US$4 billion. Sindhi names like Chellaram, Bhojson, Chandrai etc are well known in Nigeria. Indian Sindhis run Superstores and are in the textiles sector, as well as in pharmaceuticals, fishing and engineering industries. Around 1 million Indians live in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swami Premananda (guru)</span> Indian convicted of rape and murder

Prem Kumar, better known as Swami Premananda, was a Sri-Lankan born Indian religious monk who founded the Premananda ashram. He was convicted of multiple counts of rape and a murder in 1997.

Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four of his disciples were murdered on 23 August 2008 in the State of Odisha in India. Saraswati was a Hindu monk and a Vishva Hindu Parishad leader. Seven Catholic Panos and one Maoist leader were convicted in the case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 grenade attack in the Sri Lankan Parliament</span>

The 1987 grenade attack in the Sri Lankan Parliament is an attack that took place on August 18, 1987, when an assailant hurled two grenades into a room where Members of Parliament were meeting. The grenades bounced off the table at which Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayawardene and Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa were sitting, and rolled away. A Member of Parliament and a ministry secretary were killed by the explosions.

<i>Veedevadu</i> 2017 Indian action thriller film

Veedevadu is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Tatineni Satya. Also partially re-shot in Tamil as Yaar Ivan, the film stars Sachiin J. Joshi and Esha Gupta, with Prabhu and Kishore in pivotal roles. Featuring music composed by S. Thaman, the venture began production in May 2015.

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT), is a registered public charitable trust founded in 1972 by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Its humanitarian work includes drinking water projects, healthcare and education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam railway station</span> Railway station in Andhra Pradesh, India

Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam is a major railway station and is located around 8 km to the west of the pilgrim town of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, India. Puttaparthi is a renowned pilgrim center and the location of the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba. The station comes under the jurisdiction of Bangalore division of South Western Railways. It has four platforms and is situated on the line connecting Dharmavaram and Penukonda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naga Sai Mandir</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Sri Naga Sai Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Indian Spiritual Master Shirdi Sai Baba in Coimbatore in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Padmanabha murder case was a sensational case during the earlier part of 1990 in Madras in Tamil Nadu, (India) and Sri Lanka. Padmanabha was the leader of EPRLF and he was murdered with 12 of his party men and two commoners in Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu on 19 June 1990. The incident marked the first occasion when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eezham (LTTE), a militant organization, targeted an attack outside Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryuko Hira</span> Indian investor and philanthropist (born 1948)

Ryuko Hira is a renowned investor, and philanthropist, President of HMI Hotel Group and Ora Group of companies in Japan, engaged in the investment, ownership, and development of real estate, hospitality, and tourism projects in railways, airports, seaports, and public transportation located in 31 cities in Japan. He plays a pivotal role in directing Japanese investments towards India and is a pioneer in establishing cooperation agreements between several Indian state governments and Japanese prefectures. Hira’s family has been engaged in business in Japan since 1918. As of 2018, Japan Times reports him being the largest single Indian investor in Japan with US$ 2.5 billion in investments and over US$10 billion in net worth. Hira was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2022 by the President of India for his contribution to trade and industry. He is also widely known for his involvement in Indo-Japan economic exchanges, promotion of Indian culture, and his devotion to Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rai, S (29 June 1993). "Sathya Sai Baba escapes attack". India Today .
  2. ↑ "Who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?". NDTV. Press Trust of India. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Religion Obituaries; Satya Sai Baba" . The Telegraph. London. 24 April 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Madhusoodan, M K (25 April 2011). "Sathya Sai Baba escaped murder attempt". Daily News and Analysis .
  5. 1 2 3 Rai, S (14 July 1993). "Sai Baba assassination attempt by disciples remains mystery". India Today .
  6. 1 2 3 4 BBC Documentary. Secret Swami
  7. ↑ Ruhela, Satya Pal (1997), Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the Press, 1972-1996, M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., ISBN   978-81-7533-041-2, pp. 106–107
  8. ↑ HABIB BEARY (17 January 2002). "SAI BABA ESCAPES MURDER ATTEMPT AT DARSHAN". Telegraph India. Retrieved 17 January 2002.
  9. ↑ The Hindu, 10-6-1993
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.