Did Sathya Sai Baba Influence the

Judiciary?

 

B. Premanand

From: http://www.indian-skeptic.org/html/is_v01/1-6-1.htm

In 1981 I came across the 48th Divine Dawn Birthday Number of the News Chronicle dated 23.11.1973; so also the souvenir published by Sri Satya Sai Seva Samithi, Bombay titled "AT THE LOTUS FEET 1968".

The article "Those early years" authored by Y.R.Ghorpade, Ex Maharaja of Sandur attracted my attention as it contained a defamatory sentence defaming our judiciary:

"BEFORE I COULD MENTION THIS PROBLEM TO BABA HE SAID THAT I NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT CASE AS HE WOULD SEE THAT THE CASE IS DECIDED IN MY FAVOUR. AND, SURE ENOUGH IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS I HEARD THAT WE HAD WON IN THE SUPREME COURT.

To get the details of the case I wrote to the Ex Maharaja of Sandur and though he kept mum on the case advised me to write to Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications, Prasanthinilayam.

From his silence on my questions, I knew that there was something interesting in the case and I started searching for the case in the Supreme Court Law Journals and I succeeded in my search in 1984. The said judgment was given on 6.5.1966 by Hon'ble Justices K.N.Wanchoo, J.C.Shah and S.M.Sikri in civil appeal Nos.1133 & 1134. Hon. J.C.Shah gave a dissenting judgment dismissing the petitions of Y.R.Ghorpade while other two Hon. Justices allowed the appeals with costs at Supreme Court and the High Court.

When I went through the magazines published by Satya Sai Baba, it was found that Y.R.Ghorpade and his wife did visit Puttaparthi in October 1965.

As a person interested in the welfare of the Judiciary, I wrote to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India to give me the names of the Hon. Justices of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and the addresses of the High Courts in India, so that I could write to them to know their reactions in this matter individually and collectively. The Asst. Registrar of the Hon. Supreme Court rejected my request.

After collecting the names of the Hon'ble Justices from the Law Journals a petition was sent to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and the Companion Justices of the Hon. Supreme Court on 2.2.1985 for answers to the following questions and the reply was that no action can be taken on the papers sent by me as such the same have been lodged!

Can a person like Satya Sai Baba (who proclaims himself to be the reborn Shirdi Sai Baba and Sarva Daivatva Swaroopa - the god of all the gods - by showing some tricks as miracles without permitting investigations to the truthfulness of his miracles) influence the Hon.Justices in Supreme Court to favour the persons whom they want?

2. What is the part played by Satya Sai Baba and through whom, in seeing that this case is decided in favour of Y.R.Ghorpade?

3. Have the Hon.Justices gone against Law and Justice while the case was decided in favour of Y.R.Ghorpade?

4. If what is narrated in the article is false what action the Hon.Supreme Court would take against Y.R.Ghorpade and News Chronicle, Ludhiana for publishing this article?

It is now for the lawyers, Jurists, Judiciary etc., to find if Satya Sai Baba had influenced the Hon. Supreme Court to get the case decided in favour of Y.R.Ghorpade, and if not to take contempt of court action against Y.R.Ghorpade. Or if the Hon.Justices have been influenced then to pass necessary orders in this respect so that people of India have confidence in the Judiciary.

It was surprising that one of the Hon.Justices met Satya Sai Baba when this case was pending and later Sikri & Co., were appointed as Lawyers of Y.R.Ghorpade and his business empire.

B. Premanand.