RJ Ratnakar
Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s nephew.
A portrait of Sai Baba is put on display during a special ceremony attended by the Malaysian ethnic Indian community and his followers in Kuala Lumpur on 25 April 2011. Saeed Khan/AFP
An MBA, he’s the only member of Sai Baba’s family in the trust. His father Janakiramaiah, Sai Baba’s younger brother, was president of the Anantapur District Congress for nearly 11 years. Three petitionsaccusinghim of misappropriating the Trust’s funds were lodged on 19 April 2011. After the death of Janakiramaiah — a trust member — six years ago, it was reported that secretary K Chakravarthi began calling the shots. Ratnakar was made member of the Trust on Ugadi in 2010 after much furore. “The 39-year-old runs a cable TV network in Puttaparthi and owns a petrol bunk,” the Economic Times reports.
K Chakravarthi
Secretary, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust.
The most talked about contender is a former IAS officer who quit the service in 1981 and moved to Puttaparthi on Sai Baba’s advice. He has been the secretary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust since 1994. Before that he served as the registrar of Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. One version says he was Baba’s close aide, the other criticises him for keeping Baba away from devotees and family. He was the district collector of Anantapur when Sai Baba’s mission was being built. When Baba was alive, K Chakravarthi had cheque-signing
powers.
Sathyajit
Personal caretaker.
Sathyajit was Sai Baba’s personal caregiver since 2002. The 33-year-old joined Sathya Sai School when he was five and devoted himself to Sai Baba’s service after completing his MBA degree. PTI reports that he was said to be so important that without his permission, no outsider could step into the inner sanctum of Sai Baba’s Pasanthi Nilayam. It is rumoured that Baba suggested he become a member of the trust.
