"Satya Sai Baba narrowly escaped an attempted assassination at his Puttaparthi ashram in India on June 6th. The motive for the attack by four student devotees of the guru was unknown. Sai Baba's personal assistant, Radhakrishna Swamy, and another devotee were killed fending off the attackers, who were armed with spears, swords and knives. Two other devotees were wounded. Police shot dead all four attackers. The Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh could only guess the students had some grudge against the ashram management."

There was a following article, published on August 1993 - Volume 15, number 10 (in the "Global Dharma" section):

Remarks. Notice how they say: "Look! The Pope was seriously wounded and needs bullet-proof glass, while Sai Baba strolls around with non-chalance... then he's great indeed!". Very opportunely, they may want to forget that no Pope has ever claimed to be "God, Omniscent, Omnipotent, Omnipresent" as instead Sai Baba does; so this kind of stupid comparison is totally senseless. And no matter to the authors of this article if Sai Baba "the Almighty God", in order to protect himself, allowed the death of six men; wasn't he able, being Omnipotent,  to protect himself or to arrange the things in a different way? Why the police had to be so violent in order to protect "God"? And why Sai Baba "the Omniscent God" had nothing to say about that event? If he is really all-knowing, surely he was knowing names, places, reasons, etc.; and thus he could have helped the investigations. Why he didn't so? And more, if he is really all-knowing, he simply would have known that six men were about to die; why he didn't save them? Ah, sure, it's always because of karma... Moreover, it is utterly false that "Sai Baba strolls around Puttaparthi with non-chalance": Sai Baba always stays safely surrounded by his order service inside the ashram (Prashanti Nilayam), and there he never leaves his private residence or the temple, apart for attending ceremonies. You'll never see him going around freely inside or outside the ashram. When he leaves, he always does it with luxury cars, and with escort.

In the following page, NHNE SPECIAL REPORT , dedicated to Sai Baba, we can find more information about this case. The following is the related part:

"CRIME AND KARMA:

MURDERS IN THE BEDROOM

Much worse was in store when on 6 June, 1993, six inmates of Prashanti Nilayam were murdered in Satya Sai Baba's bedroom. It is alleged that two were killed by the assailants and the police claimed to have shot dead -- in self defence -- four of the assailants, who were armed only with knives. Realizing the danger to his person, Baba Himself ran for His life, jumped out of an open window and started off a secret alarm, whose existence even the inner core did not know of. Interestingly, all the people killed were part of the inner circle of Sai Baba, among whom Radha Krishna Menon, the personal assistant who was caught on video passing the necklace clandestinely to Baba. Baba Himself spoke of the murders in His Gurupoornima lecture and dealt with the question of whether the deaths of his near and dear were unavoidable:

"Birth and death go together. One should realize that death is a natural phenomenon and avoid worrying about it... You must note that Swami's life is in His own hands and not in those of anyone else. If I will it, I can live as long as I please. Because He is the almighty, God cannot behave in any arbitrary manner. Not realizing this truth, men who are involved in worldly ways ask questions as to why in certain situations, God did not use his limitless powers to avert certain untoward events..."

The police report was twice changed, from attempt to murder Baba to internal squabbles in Prashanti Nilayam. Mysteriously, Shankar Dayal Sharma, the President of the Indian Republic deviated from protocol and propriety and said that the murders were "all about a girl". When asked why Satya Sai Baba, the head of the Institution in whose bedroom the murders took place, was not interrogated, Home Minister Chavan who visited Sai Baba twice immediately after the incident insisted that Sai Baba was not present at the time of murder, further compromising the investigation. Surprisingly, Prashanti Nilayam authorities themselves filed no police complaint.

B. Premanand, magician, former devotee of Baba and today the most important Indian Skeptic -- Sai Baba baiter alive, however refused to accept the interference into the investigation and hauled the government to court, accusing the police of having willfully destroyed evidence. Amusingly, in the post, Premanand and K.N. Balagopal, rationalist advocate in the Supreme Court of India, had dragged Satya Sai Baba to court for violation of the Gold Control Act which imposed restrictions on the "manufacture, possession, sale and transfer of gold", since Satya Sai Baba "materialized" gold ornaments to be given to devotees. While rejecting the petition, the High Court Judge Justice Y.V. Anjaneyulu, a member of the Satya Sai inner circle, allowed the argument that an article materialized by spiritual powers cannot be said to have been manufactured, prepared or processed. Perhaps for the first time in jurisprudence spiritual powers were recognized as valid defence in law!

In the present murder case, however, Premanand petitioned to the High Court in a public interest petition that the case be transferred to an impartial investigative agency so that justice might be done. In the High Court, while dismissing the plea, Premanand was admonished by Chief Justice Mishra, who even threatened to punish him the next time he "misused" the Court with such complaints, with the intention of defaming Satya Sai Baba. In January, the SUPREME COURT OF INDIA expunged all the remarks made by the High Court Judge, boasting rationalist morale [...]."

"Some students, who were, for some reason, grudged against Baba, penetrated his private apartaments. Their guru received them saying 'I was waiting for you', then he escaped in an adjacent room. The students followed him, but once entered in that room they didn't find him. Sai Baba was 'miracolously' disappeared."

"[Translator's note: the first part of the speech is made up, as usual, of a standard hindu philosophical introduction, of some sanskrit words and concept, of a lesson on the true nature of body and God, etc. etc... the important part starts here:]

Birth and death go together at the same time. Birth and death have the same point. We can never believe at what time this death will come, at what time death will befall us whether in childhood, or in youth or old age, either in the town or forest or in deep water. The reason is death is after him. It is not possible to say where, when and how death follows. Can we ever remain leaving our shadow? Death also follows like a shadow along with your birth. But we should not worry about death. The reason is it is natural. Every living being in this world is bound to die one day or the other. It is foolishness to bother and worry about that. (1)

[Translator's note: Sai Baba then deepens in various examples on the use of intelligence, bringing as models the usual stories which he tells in almost every speech: Rama, Sita, Ravana, hindu saints, again sanskrit concepts, God as the "indweller" of everyone of us, etc etc...]

But in human life, there are many aberrations, perversions. There is only one hand behind all the miseries happening in the world. For all these things, people go on shouting that there is a foreign hand behind it, there is a hand of some religious sect. These are all ideas born out of no reason. They are just imagination. They are all falsehood. True, there is a hand. What is that hand? Jealousy is that hand. This jealousy is a chronic disease which is present in all the fields, in all the areas in the world. There is no medicine for this disease of jealousy. (2)

Cancer has got a medicine. But this disease of jealousy cannot be cured. It will take him straight away. It has no cure. This disease of jealousy is present today in every field. Such things happen because of jealousy. [...]

The demonic clan proceeds without any sense of judgment and discrimination. We will naturally be thinking what is the cause behind this action. You do not need to search for reasons. What is the reason for hunger? Digestion is the cause for hunger. In the same way, the absence of noble feelings is the cause for jealousy. Watching a noble man, they develop jealousy. Watching a progressing man, they develop jealousy. If one is handsome, there will be jealousy. If anyone earns name and repute, there will be jealousy. If one reaches a position of eminence, there will be jealousy. This envy has no reason, no season.

The one who is afflicted with the disease of jealousy is all perversion. The name and repute of Sai has spread all over the world. In the world today, in the present situation, people started with full jealousy either to control it, to diminish it by some way or take measures to put a stop to it. This kind of propaganda will not increase or decrease Swami's glory. The main reason for Swami's glory is His sacredness, not your publicity and your teaching. From head to foot, Swami is selfless with sacred love. This sacred love is unmovable by anybody. Swami does not hate anyone. Swami does no harm to anyone. Why should they harm Swami? There is no necessity for it. This is because of jealousy and hatred. [...] All the people with envy will reap the consequence. Even a trace of truth is not present in them. Truth will never change in spite of all the publicity which is false. Therefore, we should follow truth. We should follow sacredness. We should lead a selfless life. Believe it or not, Swami has no trace of selfishness. No one has the right to point a finger at Swami's sacredness. Who could point out at that divine sacredness? Only an intelligent person can know intelligence. How do you expect a foolish one to know intelligence? It is not possible. The reason is Swami's goodness. Swami is not speaking for Himself because the time has come to tell the truth.

All works of Sai are selfless and for the welfare of society. You know that. This super specialty Hospital has been built. Many have given their lives to make it. Lives were given to many. Many people were saved. [...] Who could do this? [...] This is the reason for envy. It is impossible for anybody to understand what Sathya Sai does, be it a big or a small thing. Human beings cannot do that. (3)

Those people who do not know the truth, who do not come here, enjoy and experience, sit in air-conditioned rooms, write and then publicize. Are these people to teach the world? With a heart full of dirt to say that one is struggling for the world is a matter of shame. Step into the society. Do good activities. Proceed on the selfless path. Then it is possible for you to know the truth. Only that the words and the publicity full of envy is useless. It is only the truth that is the life for the world. The life rests on truth when you speak. That word which is devoid of truth is lifeless. So all publicity is false. That is all cheap advertisement. You should never waver or be carried away by this cheap advertisement. We should make an effort to uphold our own truth. There is public gathered here. As you go through the newspapers, these things need to be told. (4)

The Sathya Sai Central Trust would never be burnt by fire. The trust is so sacred. Every naya paisa is spent in the correct way. We know that. The world does not know that. The Central Trust members have been working in a selfless way for the last twenty years. They bear their own expenses for their travel and lodging for any work to proceed to Delhi, Bombay or Madras, whereas elsewhere the Trust members claim for their T.A. and D.A. Sathya Sai Central Trust members live in such a sacred way. There is also publicity that they are here for position. They do not want any position. Are they short of positions? They have not come here aspiring for positions. They have come here for love of Swami.

You should also know clearly how the money is drawn from the banks. All these twenty years no cash is drawn from the bank. Every thing is drawn by way of cheque. We have Institute teachers. We are not giving cheques to teachers. Their salaries are credited to their respective accounts in the bank. They are so strict. Therefore, we are sacred and we do not expect noise fire. [...] Therefore, a single naya paisa is not wasted. There is no scope in our trust for any one to draw money. Every cheque has to be signed by two. Every cheque has to be signed by Swami and then only anybody can sign it. People say crores and crores are mismanaged. This is utterly false. We do not touch cash. If anyone is prepared to deposit cash, the bank manager and Central Trust member and person depositing the cash are associated in the transaction before the money is accepted. No one can point out a finger. To give such a publicity to the Central Trust is worst of the sins. In this world, nowhere else things are dealt with in such a sacred way. Therefore, our institution is growing day by day. Not only that. Nothing can happen to our institutions so long as the sun and moon are there. It is because of the envious people that this happened. This publicity leads to restlessness in this world. They earn sin. It is not good. Do good if you are capable. Or shut your mouth and sit quiet. Not doing harm is a great help. You are harming others. It is not good. You may speculate why Swami has not come forward with replies. There must be an appropriate time for everything. (5)

[NdT: Sai Baba brings examples from Mahabharata, of how the Pandava brothers (good and divine) were insulted and mocked by the Kaurava brothers (bad and wicked); then Sai Baba talks about the students:]

Something relating to our students. You will never get students of this kind anywhere. [...] There may be a few stones in a bag of rice. There may be one or two in the lot. You should not blame the entire student community of the Sathya Sai Institution basing on this one or two. Our students are gold. They are ready to do anything for Swami. That little young boy sang at the beginning of the speech. He sang telling that he is prepared to offer his life. We should not blame everyone because of the mistake of one or two. Students also will have to bear with this for some time. They should have tolerance.

One or two mosquitoes might bite when we go to bed. The next day you apply flit. One or two mosquitoes bite but when you apply flit, 20 mosquitoes die. The reason is the rest of the mosquitoes made friendship with these two mosquitoes. We may also get a bad name because of the friendship with bad company. [...] Therefore, run away from bad company. These blames come and go. [...] There is no discrimination between good and bad. Therefore, good people will have to bear for some time. Then you will be successful. Let us not worry any longer of what happened. That which is bound to happen happened. Those things which are to happen in the world will happen. [...] (6)

Swami's all will and desire is only help, help, help. You say whether any wealthy man, a rich man, says that or does that. When such sacred tasks are undertaken, they envy us. It is only the consequence of their sins. They don't do it and they don't allow others to do. This is not the quality of a human being. We should have broad feelings in human life. It is possible only when you come and see here. Filling the heart with jealousy, writing and talking something else is just demonic quality. Such a thing will not take place anywhere else. Not only in India, see in any other country, is free education imparted? You should pay Rs 20,000 even for admission to the first standard. But here from K.G. to P.G., education is free. The patient is not admitted unless you pay four to five lakhs for heart diseases outside. One crore is spent in Swami's hospital every month. Which rich man, which noble person is doing this? They do. They construct a hospital at a cost of ten lakhs and earn ten crores. We do not want even 10 naya paisa for any treatment. Here there is no scope for such business. It is not good to change the sacred divine path. (7)

Sai's heart is as vast as the sky. The sky may look small but Sai's heart is vaster than the sky. Some say Sai is in the hands of some. Yes, Sai is in the hands of a few. He is caught among the devotees. [...] Swami will never be got in the hands of anybody. [...] The life of Swami is in the hands of Swami, in no other hand. If Swami wants, he can continue to be here. He can leave it if He wills so. It is Swami's will, not anybody else's. The reason is sacredness is the witness for this. Selflessness is the witness. Divinity is the witness. What more witness is needed? It is only in the sacred hearts that there is life. [...] (8)"

(from the discourse of 3 July 1993)

Personally I see in those passages a clear net of more or less coded warnings, directed towards those who attempted on SB's life. the reason of the attempt seems to be an economical- administrative one ("jealousy" seems to be a cheap explanation...!), since the extreme SB's persistence on the monetary and organizatory aspects of the question; also considering that in his "normal" speeches very rarely SB speaks about money in such a practical, non-phylosophical way. But let's see a possible reading of the passages (the coloured number refers to the related passage):

(1)    "OK, six people died [read: they were killed in a violent way]. Then what's the problem? Death is natural, you all must die, it's unavoidable. Also those six sooner or later would have died, so what's the problem if they were killed? We don't have to worry about that."

(2)   SB says of human miseries: "For all these things, people go on shouting that there is a foreign hand behind it, there is a hand of some religious sect". More probably, this is what is said of some corruption whiche seem to orbit around Sai Baba's works: the foreign hand could be the one of the capitals coming in abundance from United States, Japan, Far East, Europe, etc.; the religious sect could be nothing else but his organization, which outwardly (i.e. towards the basis, the devotees) configres itself like a sect. Instead, according to SB "everything" is because of "jealousy".

(3)   "I am divine, remember it; I am sacred, full of Glory; you are simple human beings, confronted to me you are all fools and you cannot understand me. Nobody among you could judge my acts." [And to the inners of the Trust: remember that people considers me as such, so beware of what you do, Translator's Note].

(4)   "Don't read newspapers, don't listen to anybody. Around there's only lie. Only what I say to you is true, the rest are malicious lies. Only those who are in the Organization and act as I say, they have the truth and are allowed to speak. The other are dirty ones, with dirty heart".

(5)   Here the warning is on two levels. The first one is demagogical and directed to the mass of the audience: "Here we don't touch money, but we only use countersigned cheques or authorized banking transactions!". And then? This is not certainly a guarantee of right or "divine" administration. Certainly there's no need to touch money with hands to make traffics or "strange" businesses: the most part of monetary transactions takes place without money handling, but this doesn't guarantee against speculations or suspect operations. The second level is directed inside the organization (and here could be one of the causes of the attempt to SB's life): "Beware: don't think to enter the Trust, to make an easy career and put your hands on the money we manage. Here there's place only for those who act as I order and make sacrifices at this purpose. You are not allowed to easily touch money, since if I don't give the authorization you'll not see a cent". Finally, when he talks about the Trust ("No one can point out a finger. To give such a publicity to the Central Trust is worst of the sins."): "troubles to those who attempt to attack the Organization, don't try to do it. You are warned: the Organization is growing more powerful, therefore it's better to you to stay calm and don't intervene, if you don't want to suffer the consequences".

(6)   "Some students have tried to strike me. They were crushed and killed. I advise you not to try it again. You must isolate [and therefore put to evidence to your superiors, Translator's Note] the students like them if you don't want ot end the same way. Act this way and nobody will trouble you. Don't worry: what has happened was necessary. Am I or not God?".

(7)   "Those who are against me are sinner demons! Only here certain things will happen! [no doubts on this!!!, Translator's Note] Don't listen to them!". Then SB speaks again of his hospital and his schools which are free, while elsewhere you must pay. And since SB before has touched financial aspects, the question arises: how could be able to work an economical reality (like it is an hospital) wich has only expenses and no incomes? The classic answer is: but he's God! In his mysterious ways he provides the needed maintenance! The real answer is that money comes from devotees in the form of donations in foreign currency (dollars, marks, yens, etc...). This is what SB was saying in 1994:

"Last night I received a communication from New York to the following effect : "The welfare activities carried on by Swami, the service programmes launched by Swami, the uniqueness of the Hospital established by Swami, have been hailed by people all over the world. Bharatiyas have not fully appreciated their value. In appreciation of the unique services rendered by Swami, without any kind of publicity or propaganda, we wish to make our humble contribution to this cause and our offering, as the first instalment, this token remittance". The donors, who wished to remain anonymous, have sent Rs. 100 crores [Author's note: about 25 millions US dollars] (Cheers) . Out of this amount, Rs. 50 crores are to be kept in fixed deposit, from the interest on which the recurring expenses of the Super-Speciality Hospital will be met. Rs. 25 crores are offered to the Institute of Higher Learning for the promotion of human values in education. The balance of Rs. 25 crores has been offered to the Satya Sai Central Trust for whatever incidental expenses it may have to meet in carrying on its activities. The amount has been described as "the first instalment". The donors have declared that they consider it as their good fortune to have been allowed to make this donation. This is true sacrifice. Many who make petty gifts advertise their donations in loud terms. The New York donors desired to remain anonymous. "Name is not important. Service alone matters. And even here, what Bhagavan is doing is sacred service". This is their declaration."

(from a speech of 11 March 1994)

That communication seems to be written by Sai Baba's press office even if not from he himself, rather than by Newyorker americans. In this speech SB pointed out two precise points: donations must be (and they are) 1) conspicuous and 2) anonymous; and moreover notice that the Sathya Sai Central Trust doesn't pays the State a single rupee of taxes over these money transfers, since SB obtained this facilitation thanks to his influent and powerful devotees. Thus the money transfer to SB could be configuring as a good investment... Anyway, what disruptive effect could have such a mass of money concentrated in a place like Puttaparthi (small, poor, rural, with a tentacled Sathya Sai Trust directed by an absolute leader)? Why SB never says something about, e.g., the many building, commercial,and transportation activities related to his works? Or about the apartments built with the donations' money and then sold again to foreign devotees, who in this way may come to pay two times? I would be careful in saying that "all this is sacred"... And what about the students? It's notorious that they live in the colleges as SB's subjects, that hey have or must have an unconditioned adoration for him, and that SB's schools (he himself has said this with other words) are the forge of his future officers and managers, both inside and outside the State structure. An organization as such, in the real world (not pseudo-divine), has a precise name...

(8)   I think that the sky looks small only to SB... anyway: "I am sacred, Divine and selfless. No one could kill me. I have said that I will die but if I want, I could leave at my will. Therefore, this is enough for you to believe me and to obey me. I am God and I say this to you, so what else do you need? Do as I say. Do it and you will have no troubles."

... And this all just to remain on the theme "divinity at work"...!

The story of June 6th...

On June 6th 1993, four men, by name, Suresh Prabhu Shantharam, Suresh Kumar, Jagannadham and Sairam, all students or former students in some way at the Sai Baba college, entered the chambers of Sai Baba forcibly, in an apparent attempt to attack and kill Sai Baba. Sai Baba's personal assistant and driver Radhakrishnan and Sai Kumar Mahajan, an MBA student from Sri Lanka, who was living in the room next to Sai Baba also tried to stop them. They both were attacked by the four persons with knives and swords and sustained serious injuries. A 14 year old boy who was in Sai Baba's room at that time rushed to tell Sai Baba about it. At this time Sai Baba's cook Vishnu Bhat and another young man called Anil Patel also tried to stop the four and were hurt in the process.

By this time, the four people managed to go upstairs where Sai Baba's room was located. Sai Baba, meanwhile had slipped out of his room, and after activating the alarm system, went to the door at the eastern end of the mandir, and came down by the stairway to the garage. The four men, upon hearing the alarm locked themselves up in Sai Baba's room. On hearing the alarm, hundreds of Ashram residents, people from the village, and others, rushed to the mandir, and gathered outside. Armed with swords, sticks, clubs and knives, around 50-60 persons climbed the walls of the mandir from the western side and went upstairs. The 60 strong crowd saw that Sai Baba's room was locked from inside and did not know where Sai Baba was. Jankiram, a lecturer in the college asked the four where Sai Baba was and asked them to open the door. As the four people did not open the door, it was broken down. The four persons told a strange story: they said they had received reliable information that there would be an attempt to kidnap Sai Baba and they were trying to warn and protect Sai Baba and WERE NOT INTENDING TO HARM HIM

NOTE: according to the police version they were shot when they tried to attack the police. As the police were nowhere there at that time, and also, no one KNEW where Sai Baba was at that time. For all they knew, Sai Baba MIGHT have been held captive inside the room by the four persons and so they CANNOT RISK SHOOTING OR ATTACKING THE FOUR.

To continue, the four people did not resist the crowd and were overpowered and tied up with ropes. Meanwhile the 14 year old boy revealed where Sai Baba was, and many members of the crowd went to the garage, and saw Sai Baba. The news of Radhakrishna and Sai Kumar Mahajan having died was brought to Sai Baba. The tied up four were being interrogated by others for quite some time, and when Sai Baba was asked what to do with them he said "do whatever you want, do not involve me", upon which the crowd fell upon the tied up four and clubbed them to death using sticks and knives. There were photographs in a lot of regional papers that showed the blood stained bodies of the four with cut injuries, and a lot of broken and blood stained ropes.

Sai Baba, then sent for Gangadhar Reddy, the circle inspector of Puttaparthi, who had come quite late after all this had happened [have a look at this page, for another testimony regarding the Police]. Along with another police constable, bullets were pumped into the dead bodies of the four a long time after they were killed by the crowd. No post mortem was done, as it would have easily revealed the cause of death was NOT BULLET INJURIES. The case was hushed up, the records manipulated, and later Gangadhar Reddy, who was placed under suspension by the police department, resigned the police force and joined Sai Baba's org. I was a member of the Ashram intelligence staff and security at that time. I WAS NOT IN PUTTAPARTHI ON JUNE 6th 1993, but rushed there in a couple of days, thinking I might be needed, after hearing the news. ALL that I have said above is what I gathered in course of my questioning people all around who were there. And EVERYONE in the village knows what really happened.

If the facts did happen that way, it wouldn't be a bad story even in this version too, don't you think? The "Omnipotent God" activating the alarm, escaping in the garage and hiding, allowing the crowd to make a slaughter... and all the rest. Very much "divine", indeed. The world was quite needing such a personage who "uplifts the morality and restores the peace", like Sai Baba.