Editing Sathya Sai Baba (section)

== Criticism ==
=== Accusations ===
Accusations<!-- Please do not change this wording, this has been agreed on the talk page. If you don't agree on it read the discussion there. --> against Sathya Sai Baba by his critics over the years have included sleight of hand, sexual abuse, money laundering, fraud in the performance of service projects, and murder.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/><ref name=Palmer116/>

In 1972, Abraham Kovoor made the first public criticism of Sathya Sai Baba<ref name="srisathyasaibabaandthepress">Ruhela S.P., ''Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the Press'', pp. 1–5, 1997 {{ISBN|8175330414}}</ref> when he looked into a claim publicly narrated by one devotee<ref name="srisathyasaibabaandthepress" /> that Sai Baba had created a new model of a [[Seiko]] watch, and found the claim to be untrue.<ref name="sathyasaibabasgrace">Ruhela S.P., ''How to Receive Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Grace'', pp. 277, 2006 {{ISBN|8171820891}}</ref><ref name=OutlookSingh>{{Cite web|title=The Spell Breaker|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262445|publisher=Outlook|access-date=16 October 2013|author=Rahul Singh|date=2 November 2009}}</ref>

In April 1976, Hossur 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". Narasimhaiah wrote Sai Baba three widely publicised letters challenging him to perform his miracles under controlled conditions. The letters were ignored.<ref name="haraldsson204">Haraldson, ''op. cit'', pp&nbsp;204–205</ref> Sathya Sai Baba said that he ignored Narasimhaiah's challenge because he felt that a scientific approach to spiritual issues was improper, adding that "Science must confine its inquiry only to things belonging to the human senses, while [[Spiritualism (philosophy)|spiritualism]] transcends the senses. If you want to understand the nature of spiritual power you can do so only through the path of spirituality and not science. What science has been able to unravel is merely a fraction of the cosmic phenomena..."<ref name="blitz">Interview given by Sai Baba to [[R. K. Karanjia]] of ''Blitz'' news magazine in September 1976 [http://www.saibaba.ws/articles/interviewwithjournalistsept1976.htm Available online]</ref> Narasimhaiah's committee was dissolved in August 1977. Narasimhaiah held the fact that Sai Baba ignored his letters to be an indication that his miracles were fraudulent.<ref>Haraldsson, pp 209</ref> As a result of this episode, a [[public debate]] raged for several months in Indian newspapers.<ref>Haraldsson, ''op. cit.'', pp. 206</ref>

Indian rationalist [[Basava Premanand]], who began campaigning against Sathya Sai Baba in 1976, unsuccessfully attempted to sue him in 1986 for violations of the [[Gold Control Act]], citing Sai Baba was "producing gold necklaces out of thin air without the permission of a Gold Control Administrator".<ref name=bbca1/> When the case was dismissed, Premanand unsuccessfully appealed on the grounds that claimed spiritual power is not a defence recognised in law.<ref name=bbca1>{{Cite news|author=Tanya Datta|title=Sai Baba: Goan or con man?|date=17 June 2004|publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/3813469.stm | access-date=4 January 2010}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] created a secret report that stated the Sai Baba movement is “likely to eventually become another worldwide religion”.<ref name="saicia"/><ref name="saioncia"/> The CIA operative who wrote the report concluded it by stating, “there is always the possibility, too, that the movement will collapse if Sai Baba is convincingly demonstrated to be a fraud.”<ref name="saicia"/><ref name="saioncia"/>

A 1995 TV documentary ''Guru Busters'', produced by filmmaker Robert Eagle for the UK's [[Channel 4]], accused Sai Baba of faking his materializations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eagletv.co.uk/projects/guru-busters.html |title=Eagle & Eagle |publisher=Eagletv.co.uk |access-date=7 January 2010}} [https://vimeo.com/352879776 Doordarshan clip]</ref> The clip from the film was mentioned in the ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]'', on 23 November 1992, in a front-page headline "DD Tape Unveils Baba Magic".<ref>Haraldsson, ''op. cit.'', pp.&nbsp;295–301</ref>

Claims of Sai Baba resurrecting American devotee Walter Cowan in 1971 have been discussed by British journalist Mick Brown in his book ''The Spiritual Tourist'' from 1998,<ref name="spiritualtourist">Mick Brown, ''The Spiritual Tourist'', 1998, Bloomsbury Publishing, {{ISBN|158234034X}} "In the House of God", pp.&nbsp;73–74</ref><ref>Hislop, John S. ''My Baba and I'' 1985 published by Birth Day Publishing Company, San Diego, California {{ISBN|0960095888}}, "The Resurrection of Walter Cowan", pages&nbsp;28–31</ref>  and subsequently by [[Erlendur Haraldsson]], who interviewed doctors attending Cowan at the hospital; these physicians reported that Cowan had been dangerously ill but had not died.<ref name="lane2014">{{Cite book |last1=Lane |first1=David |author1-link=David C. Lane |title=The Mystical: Exploring the Transcendent |date=2014 |publisher=Mt San Antonio College |isbn=978-1565431737 |pages=62–63}}</ref>

Brown also related his experiences with alleged manifestations of vibhuti (sacred ash) from Sai Baba's pictures in houses in London, which he felt were not fraudulent or the result of trickery.<ref name="touristmiracle">Brown Mick, ''The Spiritual Tourist'', "The Miracle in North London", pp.&nbsp;29–30, 1998 {{ISBN|158234034X}}</ref> With regards to Sai Baba's claims of omniscience, Brown wrote, "sceptics have produced documentation clearly showing discrepancies between Baba's reading of historical events and biblical prophecies, and the established accounts."<ref name="spiritualtourist"/>

The ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'' in 2001 reported that Sai Baba told his adherents not to sign on to the internet,<ref name="VS">{{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/sai-baba-holy-man-sex-abuser-both|title=Sai Baba: Holy man? Sex abuser? Both?|work=vancouversun |date=26 April 2011|language=en|access-date=9 October 2019}}</ref> while encouraging them, rather, to surf the "inner net".<ref name="itallege">{{Cite news | title =Allegations of sexual molestation continue to dog Sai Baba| newspaper=[[India Today]]| date = 4 December 2000 | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20001204-allegations-of-sexual-molestation-continue-to-dog-sai-baba-778528-2000-12-03|access-date =26 November 2012}}</ref>

===Allegations of abuse===
In January 2002, a documentary produced by Denmark's national television and radio broadcast company, [[Danish radio|Danmarks Radio]] (DR), called ''Seduced By Sai Baba'', analyzed videos of public manifestations of Sai Baba and suggested that they could be explained as sleight of hand.<ref name="seduced">{{Cite video|people=Øyvind Kyrø, Steen Jensen |title=Seduced by Sai Baba |medium=Documentary |publisher=[[DR (broadcaster)|DR]] |date=2002 |url=http://dr.dk/Salg/DRsales/Programmes/Documentary/Society_and_Social/20070629133445_3_1_3_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204010039/http://www.dr.dk/Salg/DRsales/Programmes/Documentary/Society_and_Social/20070629133445_3_1_3_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1_1.htm |archive-date=4 February 2010 }}</ref> The documentary also presented interviews with Alaya Rahm, former devotee of Sathya Sai Baba, where he alleged abuse by Sathya Sai Baba.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> As a result, in 2002 the parliament of the United Kingdom discussed the danger to male children of British families intending to visit the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba in case of individual audiences with the guru.<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2001-02/886] UK Parliament official web site</ref>

In 2004, the [[BBC]] produced a documentary titled ''The Secret Swami'' as part of its series "The World Uncovered".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/3791921.stm |title=Programmes &#124; This World &#124; Secret Swami |publisher=BBC News |date=11 June 2004 |access-date=7 January 2010}}</ref> One central theme of the BBC documentary was again Alaya Rahm's sexual abuse allegations against Sathya Sai Baba.<ref name=bbcd>{{Cite video|people=Eamon Hardy, Tanya Datta|title=Secret Swami|medium=Documentary|publisher=BBC News|date=2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/3791921.stm | access-date=4 January 2010}}</ref> This documentary interviewed him together with Mark Roche, who had spent 25 years of his life since 1969 in the movement and alleged abuse by Sai Baba.<ref name=bbcd/> The show also featured allegations from Sai Baba critic Basava Premanand. Premanand stated in the documentary that, in his opinion, Sai Baba faked his materializations.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>

===Posthumous Trust issues===

After Sai Baba's death, questions about the manner in which the finances of the organization were going to be managed led to speculations of impropriety, with reports stating that suitcases containing cash and/or gold had been removed from his personal lodgings.<ref name="dh" /><ref>{{Cite news| title =What's inside Sathya Sai's personal chamber?| publisher = [[Zee News]]|url =http://zeenews.india.com/news710182.html| date =2 June 2011| access-date =9 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| title =Trust hesitant on unlocking Sai Babas residence| author =Express News Service| publisher = [[CNN-IBN]]| url =http://ibnlive.in.com/news/trust-hesitant-on-unlocking-sai-babas-residence/155644-60-114.html| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110603112010/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/trust-hesitant-on-unlocking-sai-babas-residence/155644-60-114.html| url-status =dead| archive-date =3 June 2011|date =31 May 2011| access-date = 9 June 2011}}</ref>

On 17 June 2011, officials from the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust opened his private residence in the presence of government, bank and tax department officials.<ref>Deccan Herald, Tuesday 17 June. 2011, "Huge amount of gold, silver, cash found in Sai Baba's Chamber" http://www.deccanherald.com/content/169535/huge-amount-gold-silver-cash.html.</ref> In the private residence, which had been sealed since his death, they inventoried 98&nbsp;kg of gold ornaments, approximate value Rs 21 crores (US$4.7m), 307&nbsp;kg of silver ornaments, approximate value Rs 16&nbsp;million (US$0.36m), and Rs 116&nbsp;million (US$2.6m) in cash. The cash was deposited into the Sai Trust's account at the State Bank of India with payment of government taxes (thus transferring them from religious gifts to Trust assets.) The gold and other items were inventoried, assessed, and placed in secure storage. In July, district authorities inventoried an additional Rs 7.7&nbsp;million (US$0.17m) in valuables in another 4 rooms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Assets-worth-Rs77L-seized-at-Sai-ashram/articleshow/9081602.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928224408/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-03/india/29733031_1_satya-sai-baba-precious-metals-diamond-ring|url-status=live|archive-date=28 September 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|title=Assets worth Rs 77L seized at Sai ashram|date=3 July 2011}}</ref> The total value of these items is believed to exceed 7.8&nbsp;million US dollars.<ref name="hindustan times">{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Treasure-island-Sai-Baba-s-gold-trove/Article1-710596.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618095123/http://www.hindustantimes.com/treasure-island-sai-baba-s-gold-trove/article1-710596.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 June 2011|title=Treasure island: Sai Baba's gold trove|date=17 June 2011|publisher=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref> Also inventoried at Yajurmandir were thousands of pure silk sarees, dhotis, shirts, 500 pairs of shoes, dozens of bottles of perfume and hairspray, watches, a large number of silver and gold "mangala sutrams", and precious stones such as diamonds. There were also 750 saffron and white robes of the type Sai Baba wore.<ref name="500 pairs">{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110618/jsp/nation/story_14130452.jsp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203204543/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110618/jsp/nation/story_14130452.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 February 2013|title=Open sesame! Baba & his chamber of secrets|author=G.S. Radhakrishna|date=17 June 2011|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]]|location=Calcutta, India}} and [https://archive.today/20130204042951/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110618/images/18zzsaibababig.jpg this graphic]</ref> In July 2011, a similar opening of his Bangalore-area ashram tallied 6&nbsp;kg of gold coins and jewelry, 245&nbsp;kg of silver articles and Rs 8&nbsp;million in cash. These items and goods are believed to have been donated over the years by Sai Baba's devotees from all over the world as religious gifts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Three-day-count-at-Babas-ashram-yields-treasure/articleshow/9305840.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815224317/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-21/bangalore/29798927_1_brindavan-revenue-officials-ashram|url-status=live|archive-date=15 August 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|title=Three-day count at Baba's ashram yields treasure|date=21 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/178661/perfumes-sarees-form-sai-babas.html,|title=Perfumes, sarees form Sai Baba's inventory|work=Deccan Herald}}</ref>

In 2012 Satyaji (Sai Baba's former personal attendant) came forward with a noterised signed, yet unknown, document from Sai Baba, dated from 1967 entailing Sai Baba had "no personal right on the multi-crore spiritual empire built by him". In the letter Sai Baba stated, "Whatever is given to me is under my management, supervision and control as a trustee to be used for public charitable purposes. This declaration I am making so that nobody can claim, under or through me, in the family properties if any."<ref name="saidocu">{{Cite news | title =45-year-old document adds new twist to Satya Sai Baba's empire| newspaper=[[India Today]] | date = 2 September 2012 | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/45-year-old-document-adds-new-twist-to-satya-sai-babas-empire-115103-2012-09-02|access-date = 2 September 2012}}</ref> Reports stated that for some time Sai Baba's nephew, R.J. Ratnakar Raju was trying to gain control over the trust, whose assets and properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars, led to a conflict between him and the other trust members.
The [[Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust]] however, never makes the intake or expenditure details of funds into the trust public.
"Nobody really knows who the members are in the trust and whether if; or any, changes are made at any point of time."<ref name="saidocu"/>

===Responses===
Sathya Sai Baba rejected any allegations of misconduct and was never charged with any offense.<ref name=funeral/><ref name=":0" /> During a speech in December 2000, he used the analogy of [[Jesus Christ]] and [[Judas Iscariot]], saying, "in those days there was one Judas, but today there are thousands."<ref name="sai2000"/> Addressing the allegations, he said that out of jealousy, hate and fear, many devotees were being bought to speak against him, having been offered money to say nasty things.<ref name="sai2000">{{Cite news| date=26 December 2000 |title= Sai Baba lashes out at detractors |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/sai-baba-lashes-out-at-detractors/articleshow/534425761.cms |newspaper=The Times of India}}</ref>

His followers have also defended him publicly and attested to what they believed to be his character. These include [[Bill Aitken (traveller)|Bill Aitken]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-week.com/25nov27/currentevents_article10.htm |title=Miracle of Welfare |access-date=9 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909111636/http://www.the-week.com/25nov27/currentevents_article10.htm |archive-date=9 September 2006 }}</ref> and Anil Kumar, former principal of the Sathya Sai Educational Institute.<ref name="divine">Brown, Mick (28 October 2000). "Divine Downfall". ''The Daily Telegraph''.</ref>

In an open letter in December 2001, Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]],<ref name=Palmer97-98 /> Chief Justices [[P. N. Bhagwati]] and [[Ranganath Misra]], and Members of Parliament and [[Najma Heptulla]] said that they were "deeply pained and anguished by the wild, reckless and concocted allegations" against Sathya Sai Baba, and called him "an embodiment of love and selfless service to humanity".<ref name="letterpmindia">[https://archive.today/20130921020144/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fline/fl2810/stories/20110520281002600.htm Letter from A. B. Vajpayee (the then Prime Minister of India)]</ref>

In a 2015 article, writer [[Paul William Roberts]] said Sai Baba "definitely emanated [[love]] and could perform extraordinary actions defying explanation. No matter what is said about him, I can only speak for myself, and I have never had any reason to doubt that he is what he said he is.”<ref name="pwrmg">{{Cite news | title =From Saddam Hussein to Christopher Hitchens, Paul William Roberts on the remarkable people he's encountered| newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] | date = 29 August 2015 | url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/from-saddam-hussein-to-christopher-hitchens-paul-william-roberts-on-the-remarkable-people-hes-encountered|access-date = 15 July 2020}}</ref>