Youth held with gun in Sai Baba
ashram
Date: 01-17-02
From: http://www.clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/sathyasaibaba
An attack on Baba finally occurs? We'll see... The news is commented before and after by Tony O'Cleary:
'Good Ol' Tony' says:
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Date: 01-17-02
From: Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Articleshow.asp?art_id=637711762
(Link not ok? Try here!)
BANGALORE:
A man armed with an air pistol was nabbed at the Whitefield Ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
on Thursday. Following this, commotion prevailed in the Ashram just before the scheduled
morning darshan of Baba.
The intruder had an air pistol and pellets in his posession. Police said he was planning
to hold some security personnel hostage in order to get darshan of the Baba.
Police
said Baba was to scheduled to give darshan at the Sai Ramesh Hall in his Brindavan Ashram.
Devotees mumbling prayers were queuing up to get into the hall when inmates noticed a
pistol butt peeping out of a jacket worn by a youth standing in the queue. The inmates
grabbed the youth as he offered resistance and whisked him away. They disarmed him and
detained him in one of the rooms. The pistol and pellets were seized.
Several devotees, including women, panicked and ran helter skelter. Meanwhile, rumours
circulated that the youth had come to kill Baba in the Ashram.
The police reacted swiftly and led the youth to the Kadugodi police station. Senior police
officers, including DGP V VBhaskar, IGP Central Range N Achyutha Rao and SP Bangalore
District Bhaskar Rao, visited the Ashram and interrogated the youth. He was led away to to
an undisclosed location for questioning.
The youth was later identified as Somasundara from Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the youth was a staunch devotee of Baba who wanted
to have a personal audience with him.
In the the past, Somasundara had written several letters to Baba in Telugu asking for some
help to start a business to help unemployed people in his village. He did not get any
response.
His game plan now was to hold one of the Ashram security staff hostage at gun point to
force Baba to accord him an interview. It is not possible for people to meet Baba unless
they are called by him personally.
According to the police, the youth was seen at the Ashram in the last three days. He
managed to take the pistol with him by hiding it in his socks. Later, he moved it to his
jacket.
"His intention was only to get an interview with Baba, not to cause any harm,"
said Superitendent of Police Bhaskar Rao. However, a case has been registered in the
Kadugodi police station against Somasundara.
Police have taken the incident seriously in the wake of the recent reports alleging that
Baba was on the hit-list of the LTTE. The security in Puttaparthi and Bangalore Ashrams
had been intensified following these reports.
It may be recalled that four people were shot dead in the Puttaparthi Ashram while
attempting to attack Baba several years ago.
'Good Ol' Tony' comments:
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