HYDERABAD: It would be very odd but government officials are waiting for someone to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court so that they can probe the goings-on in Prashanti Nilayam.In a related development, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has asked the Vigilance & Enforcement (V&E) department to “find out’’ what’s happening in the late Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram.‘’A PIL can be filed under Section 100 of the CrPC following which the court can appoint a search committee of government and private persons,’’ a legal expert said.Police suo motu have registered a case of theft (379 IPC) and arrested three persons allegedly carrying cash from Prashanti Nilayam.They have been remanded to judicial custody. The police are, however, yet to nail criminal intent in the episode.Though the Income Tax department has been informed about the cash seizures, all that they can do is impose a fine under Section 139 of the Income Tax Act.Sources say the government is in no mood to take over the affairs of the ashram as it is wary of the legal issues that might arise.“Since Prashanti Nilayam is a religious place run by a private trust, the government may have to contend with a challenge in the courts.They are also wary of criticism from the public,’’ sources said, pointing at the large number of Sai Baba’s devotees in the State and across the country.
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