Police and the civic officials in Puttaparthy are banging their heads on finding ways to control the surging crowds of Sai devotees coming from India and abroad to pay their last respects to the departed spiritual leader Sri Satya Sai Baba. Due to lack of coordination between police and the Trust members, total confusion prevailed at the Prashanthy Nilayam for the last two days.

By moderate estimates, more than one lakh people reached Puttaparthy by Monday evening and another two lakh devotees are expected by this evening but to maladministration by the Trust members and the government, all the devotees may not be able to have a last glimpse of the Baba whose body was kept in an air-tight glass container. Trust said darsan would be allowed till 6 PM this evening.

Police found fault with the Trust members who did not agree to their  suggestion that the body of the Baba should be kept at the Hill View stadium which has a capacity of more than 50, 000 people. Police are not happy with the Trust decision to keep the body in the Kulwant Hall which is very congested.

While VIPs are quickly allowed inside the Kulwant Hall through back door to take a look at the Baba, tens of thousands of devotees are made to wait outside the Prashanthy Nilayam for hours together in queues in the hot sun to get their turn to have a glimpse of their God.

Devotees are not getting proper shelter, food and water as police ordered closure of all business activity in the town as precautionary measure. Prashanthy Nilayam staff and Seva Dal volunteers are distributing water pockets to devotees but they are not reaching majority of the devotees.

Police said they are helpless as the Trust members did not heed their word to keep the Baba body in the Stadium. “We can’t do anything as it is not in our hands,” said police officials.