John Purnell & Sathya Sai Baba
John Purnell And His Original Allegations Against Sathya Sai Baba:
On January 14th 2003, John Purnell (a former follower of Sathya Sai Baba from Australia) submitted an alleged story of sexual abuse to the ExBaba Domain. Later on (for some mysterious and unknown reason), John Purnell’s story was removed from the ExBaba domain. However, Tony O’Clery (an Anti-Sai Activist) cut and pasted Purnell’s story from the ExBaba domain to a Sai-related Yahoo Group (Ref). The following is John Purnell’s original allegations against Sathya Sai Baba in English:
tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sathyasaibaba2/message/35138
My Experience of Sathya Sai Baba
By John Purnell, a trainee priest in a Roman Catholic Seminary, Australia.
(Aged 37 years, January 2004).
Date: 01-14-03
I first heard of Sathya Sai Baba, India’s most famous guru, way back in 1983 when I read the book ’The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist’ by Samuel Sandweiss, MD. I just couldn’t believe the words in the book, as they seemed too good to be true,
On my first to Sathya Sai Baba in India, I met up and travelled with a group from Brisbane led by Arthur Hillcoat, arriving in Puttaparthi, the main ashram, in early December 1985.
As luck would have it (as it seemed at the time), our group was called for an interview with Sai Baba just before Christmas day. I can remember so well my excitement, meeting my God face to face. The only words he spoke to me were “Good day.” I was happy with that. We did not have another interview on that trip.
But to coincide with his birthday, November 23, and for Christmas, 1986, I returned with Arthur Hillcoat’s group. Again we were called for interview, and Sai Baba promised to speak with me later and said he would give me a nice chain. It wasn’t till April 1987, when I went without any group, that he saw me for my first private interview, just prior to his leaving for Kodai Canal, a hill station in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, where I duly followed him around.
In the first of my seven interviews, he asked me what I wanted, and I replied “to be your student and to study here in India.” Of course, as so often to people, he said, “Yes, yes.” He told me that he is God and that he loves me. I said “I love you too,” and gave him a huge hug, and kissed his cheek.
Between 1987 and 1991, I visited India seven more times. Not until 1990 (as best I remember the year) did I meet a number of students in his Puttaparthi campus. They knew I wanted so badly to study for a Master of Business Administration there. In consecutive interviews with him, Sai Baba kept telling me to apply and that all will be well. Over the period of my subsequent trips, these five students and I became very close friends One in particular was an old student named E. K. Suresh, who was later killed by the Puttaparthi police in the infamous, so called attempt on Sathya Sai Baba’s life. It was Suresh and another current student, Siddarth Sharma, who first told me about Sai Baba’s hidden side. They even gave me photos to show his use of sleight of hand, by which he made it appear that he was doing miracles of materialisation. Naturally, I was devastated and could not believe it. I put it all down as a test of faith.
My seventh and final private interview was at Christmas 1992. Sai Baba called me in as I was complaining about my lack of admission to his university and why I had had to wait for so long. I remember him going over to the corner of the room and putting oil in his right palm. He then approached me and undid my pants, which were the Indian pyjama style. He began to rub this oil into my penis. I stupidly thought he was healing me from too much sexual desire. He then moved right up to me and I could feel him rub his erect penis on mine, all the while groaning and trying to kiss my mouth. I was so confused I couldn’t think at all. As I was not getting sexually aroused, he became angry and told me, “Go!” and that he would see me later. So I left.
I told Suresh and Siddarth everything and they, with three other students, told me how they all had been sexually abused so often by Sai Baba. Now it all sunk in, and they told me things that me physically ill. My world and faith were shattered.
I told Arthur Hillcoat, and the Australian group the whole horrid story. Naturally, to them I had gone mad, and they refused to believe me, and threw me out of the ashram.
Later, I heard that E. K. Suresh and another of the five students, Prabhu, were planning to kidnap Sai Baba and expose his fraudulence, lies and deceit. The rest is history, as they were shot dead on June 6, 1993, to keep the silent cover.
It has taken years for me to get over this. My sexual abuse by Sai Baba was nothing compared to that of those poor souls who were killed, and I know from my close friendship with them what hell they had gone through for years.
I am only glad that the truth is surfacing, and I hope that I will live to watch Sai Baba fall hard and fast!
My Experience of Sathya Sai Baba
By John Purnell, a trainee priest in a Roman Catholic Seminary, Australia.
(Aged 37 years, January 2004).
Date: 01-14-03
I first heard of Sathya Sai Baba, India’s most famous guru, way back in 1983 when I read the book ’The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist’ by Samuel Sandweiss, MD. I just couldn’t believe the words in the book, as they seemed too good to be true,
On my first to Sathya Sai Baba in India, I met up and travelled with a group from Brisbane led by Arthur Hillcoat, arriving in Puttaparthi, the main ashram, in early December 1985.
As luck would have it (as it seemed at the time), our group was called for an interview with Sai Baba just before Christmas day. I can remember so well my excitement, meeting my God face to face. The only words he spoke to me were “Good day.” I was happy with that. We did not have another interview on that trip.
But to coincide with his birthday, November 23, and for Christmas, 1986, I returned with Arthur Hillcoat’s group. Again we were called for interview, and Sai Baba promised to speak with me later and said he would give me a nice chain. It wasn’t till April 1987, when I went without any group, that he saw me for my first private interview, just prior to his leaving for Kodai Canal, a hill station in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, where I duly followed him around.
In the first of my seven interviews, he asked me what I wanted, and I replied “to be your student and to study here in India.” Of course, as so often to people, he said, “Yes, yes.” He told me that he is God and that he loves me. I said “I love you too,” and gave him a huge hug, and kissed his cheek.
Between 1987 and 1991, I visited India seven more times. Not until 1990 (as best I remember the year) did I meet a number of students in his Puttaparthi campus. They knew I wanted so badly to study for a Master of Business Administration there. In consecutive interviews with him, Sai Baba kept telling me to apply and that all will be well. Over the period of my subsequent trips, these five students and I became very close friends One in particular was an old student named E. K. Suresh, who was later killed by the Puttaparthi police in the infamous, so called attempt on Sathya Sai Baba’s life. It was Suresh and another current student, Siddarth Sharma, who first told me about Sai Baba’s hidden side. They even gave me photos to show his use of sleight of hand, by which he made it appear that he was doing miracles of materialisation. Naturally, I was devastated and could not believe it. I put it all down as a test of faith.
My seventh and final private interview was at Christmas 1992. Sai Baba called me in as I was complaining about my lack of admission to his university and why I had had to wait for so long. I remember him going over to the corner of the room and putting oil in his right palm. He then approached me and undid my pants, which were the Indian pyjama style. He began to rub this oil into my penis. I stupidly thought he was healing me from too much sexual desire. He then moved right up to me and I could feel him rub his erect penis on mine, all the while groaning and trying to kiss my mouth. I was so confused I couldn’t think at all. As I was not getting sexually aroused, he became angry and told me, “Go!” and that he would see me later. So I left.
I told Suresh and Siddarth everything and they, with three other students, told me how they all had been sexually abused so often by Sai Baba. Now it all sunk in, and they told me things that me physically ill. My world and faith were shattered.
I told Arthur Hillcoat, and the Australian group the whole horrid story. Naturally, to them I had gone mad, and they refused to believe me, and threw me out of the ashram.
Later, I heard that E. K. Suresh and another of the five students, Prabhu, were planning to kidnap Sai Baba and expose his fraudulence, lies and deceit. The rest is history, as they were shot dead on June 6, 1993, to keep the silent cover.
It has taken years for me to get over this. My sexual abuse by Sai Baba was nothing compared to that of those poor souls who were killed, and I know from my close friendship with them what hell they had gone through for years.
I am only glad that the truth is surfacing, and I hope that I will live to watch Sai Baba fall hard and fast!
Observations About John Purnell’s Original Allegations Related 10 Years After The Fact:
- John Purnell claimed he was allegedly molested once in his 7th interview in December 1992 although he did not originally believe the oiling to be sexual whatsoever.
- John Purnell openly related his alleged oiling experience with various Australian Sai Devotees and had nothing but praise for Sathya Sai Baba and claimed that the “oiling” helped control his profuse sexual energy. John Purnell never originally mentioned one word (to various Australian Sai Devotees) about Sai Baba allegedly kissing him and rubbing his body against his (See John Purnell Emails Page).
- John Purnell remained devoted to the Guru for an additional two years and defected in 1994.
- If Sathya Sai Baba had truly rubbed his robe against John Purnell’s oiled penis, the oil would have been all over the guru’s robe and would have been visible to anyone and everyone immediately thereafter.
- It is very disturbing that John Purnell professed intimate friendship with men who were later to viciously murder two of Sathya Sai Baba’s attendants and seriously wound two others. John Purnell was also a Sai Devotee even after the 1993 Police Shooting incidents.
John Purnell’s Story Published In Spanish On The SaiGuru.net Domain:
Further proving that John Purnell submitted his story to Anti-Sai Websites, SaiGuru.net still has his testimony in Spanish on their website (which is a word-for-word translation to the English version above):
saiguru.net/espanol/testimonios/20purnell.htm
Mi Experiencia con Sathya Sai Baba
John Purnell, S.J. - Seminarista Jesuita, Saint Canisius College, Sydney, Australia
Edad: 37 años
Enero 2004
Yo me enteré de Sathya Sai Baba, el gurú más famoso de la India, en 1983 al leer el libro “El Hombre Santo y el Psiquiatra”, escrito por el Dr. Samuel Sandweis. No podía creer las palabras del libro, todo parecía demasiado bueno para ser realidad.
En mi primer viaje a ver a Sathya Sai Baba en la India, me encontré y viajé con un grupo de Brisbane, guiado por Arthur Hillcoat, llegando a Puttaparthi, donde se encuentra el ashram principal, a principios de diciembre de 1985.
Por lo que aparentaba ser buena suerte en esos momentos, nuestro grupo fue llamado para una entrevista con Sai Baba justo antes del día de Navidad. ¡Recuerdo tan bien mi emoción al conocer a mi Dios de cara a cara! Las únicas palabras que me dijo fueron “Buen día.” Con eso me contenté. No tuvimos ninguna otra entrevista en ese viaje.
Para coincidir con el cumpleaños de Sai Baba, el 23 de noviembre, y la Navidad de 1986, regresé con el grupo de Arthur Hillcoat. De nuevo fuimos llamados para una entrevista, y Sai Baba prometió hablar conmigo después y dijo que me daría una bonita cadena. No fue hasta abril de 1987, cuando fui por mi cuenta, que tuve mi primera entrevista en privada con él, justo antes de que partiera para Kodai Kanal, un lugar en los cerros en el vecino estado de Tamil Nadu, a donde fielmente lo seguí.
En la primera de mis siete entrevistas, Sai Baba me preguntó qué quería, yo contesté “ser su discípulo y estudiar aquí en la India.” Por supuesto, como a muchas personas, me dijo: “Sí, sí.” Me dijo que él era Dios y que me amaba. Yo dije: “Yo también lo amo a usted,” y lo abracé fuertemente y le besé la mejilla.
Entre 1987 y 1991, yo visité la India siete veces más. No fue hasta 1991 (si mal no recuerdo el año) que conocí a un número de sus estudiantes en los terrenos de la escuela universitaria de Puttaparthi. Ellos conocían mis ansias de estudiar mi maestría en administración de empresas en ese lugar. En consecutivas entrevistas con él, Sai Baba me decía una y otra vez que hiciera mi solicitud y que todo saldría bien. En el periodo de tiempo de mis cinco viajes subsecuentes, estos cinco estudiantes y yo nos hicimos buenos amigos. Uno en particular era un antiguo estudiante llamado E. K. Suresh, quien más tarde fue matado por la policía de Puttaparthi en el infame supuesto atentado contra la vida de Sai Baba. Fue precisamente Suresh y otro joven que aún era estudiante, Siddarth Sharma, quienes me hablaron por primera vez de la parte oculta de Sai Baba. Inclusive me dieron fotos que mostraban su uso de la prestidigitación, mediante la cual él aparentaba estar haciendo milagros de materialización. Naturalmente, yo estaba devastado y no podía creerlo. Lo califiqué todo como una prueba de fe.
Mi séptima y última entrevista privada fue durante la Navidad de 1992. Sai Baba me llamó, ya que yo estaba quejándome porque todavía no había sido admitido en su universidad y preguntando por qué tenía que esperar tanto tiempo. Recuerdo cómo él fue a la esquina de la habitación y se puso aceite en la palma de la mano derecha. Entonces se me acercó y me zafó los pantalones, que eran piyamas de estilo indio. Comenzó a frotar el aceite en mi pene. Estúpidamente pensé que me estaba curando de demasiado deseo sexual. Entonces pegó su cuerpo al mío y yo podía sentir como me frotaba su pene erecto, mientras gemía y trataba de besarme en la boca. ¡Me sentía tan confundido que no podía pensar! Como no me estaba excitando se enfureció y me dijo: “Vete”, y comentó que me vería después. Yo me fui.
Le conté todo a Suresh y a Siddarth y ellos, junto con tres otros estudiantes, me dijeron cómo ellos frecuentemente habían sido molestados sexualmente por Sai Baba. Entonces comencé a darme cuenta de todo y me dijeron algunas cosas que verdaderamente me hastiaron. Mi fe y mi mundo habían quedado destrozados.
Le conté la horrible historia a Arthur Hillcoat y el grupo australiano. Para ellos, por supuesto, yo había perdido el juicio, se negaron a creerme y me corrieron del ashram.
Más tarde me enteré que E. K. Suresh y otro de los cinco estudiantes llamado Prabhu, estaban planeando secuestrar a Sai Baba y exponer su fraudulencia, sus mentiras y sus engaños. El resto es historia, ya que fueron matados a tiros el 6 de junio de 1993, para así poder mantener el silencio encubridor.
Me ha tomado años reponerme de esto. Mi abuso sexual por parte de Sai Baba no fue nada comparado con esos pobres seres que fueron matados, y conozco, mediante mi cercana amistad con ellos, el infierno que tuvieron que vivir por años.
¡Sólo me alegro que la verdad esté saliendo a la superficie y espero llegar a ver a Sai Baba caer fuerte y rápidamente!
Mi Experiencia con Sathya Sai Baba
John Purnell, S.J. - Seminarista Jesuita, Saint Canisius College, Sydney, Australia
Edad: 37 años
Enero 2004
Yo me enteré de Sathya Sai Baba, el gurú más famoso de la India, en 1983 al leer el libro “El Hombre Santo y el Psiquiatra”, escrito por el Dr. Samuel Sandweis. No podía creer las palabras del libro, todo parecía demasiado bueno para ser realidad.
En mi primer viaje a ver a Sathya Sai Baba en la India, me encontré y viajé con un grupo de Brisbane, guiado por Arthur Hillcoat, llegando a Puttaparthi, donde se encuentra el ashram principal, a principios de diciembre de 1985.
Por lo que aparentaba ser buena suerte en esos momentos, nuestro grupo fue llamado para una entrevista con Sai Baba justo antes del día de Navidad. ¡Recuerdo tan bien mi emoción al conocer a mi Dios de cara a cara! Las únicas palabras que me dijo fueron “Buen día.” Con eso me contenté. No tuvimos ninguna otra entrevista en ese viaje.
Para coincidir con el cumpleaños de Sai Baba, el 23 de noviembre, y la Navidad de 1986, regresé con el grupo de Arthur Hillcoat. De nuevo fuimos llamados para una entrevista, y Sai Baba prometió hablar conmigo después y dijo que me daría una bonita cadena. No fue hasta abril de 1987, cuando fui por mi cuenta, que tuve mi primera entrevista en privada con él, justo antes de que partiera para Kodai Kanal, un lugar en los cerros en el vecino estado de Tamil Nadu, a donde fielmente lo seguí.
En la primera de mis siete entrevistas, Sai Baba me preguntó qué quería, yo contesté “ser su discípulo y estudiar aquí en la India.” Por supuesto, como a muchas personas, me dijo: “Sí, sí.” Me dijo que él era Dios y que me amaba. Yo dije: “Yo también lo amo a usted,” y lo abracé fuertemente y le besé la mejilla.
Entre 1987 y 1991, yo visité la India siete veces más. No fue hasta 1991 (si mal no recuerdo el año) que conocí a un número de sus estudiantes en los terrenos de la escuela universitaria de Puttaparthi. Ellos conocían mis ansias de estudiar mi maestría en administración de empresas en ese lugar. En consecutivas entrevistas con él, Sai Baba me decía una y otra vez que hiciera mi solicitud y que todo saldría bien. En el periodo de tiempo de mis cinco viajes subsecuentes, estos cinco estudiantes y yo nos hicimos buenos amigos. Uno en particular era un antiguo estudiante llamado E. K. Suresh, quien más tarde fue matado por la policía de Puttaparthi en el infame supuesto atentado contra la vida de Sai Baba. Fue precisamente Suresh y otro joven que aún era estudiante, Siddarth Sharma, quienes me hablaron por primera vez de la parte oculta de Sai Baba. Inclusive me dieron fotos que mostraban su uso de la prestidigitación, mediante la cual él aparentaba estar haciendo milagros de materialización. Naturalmente, yo estaba devastado y no podía creerlo. Lo califiqué todo como una prueba de fe.
Mi séptima y última entrevista privada fue durante la Navidad de 1992. Sai Baba me llamó, ya que yo estaba quejándome porque todavía no había sido admitido en su universidad y preguntando por qué tenía que esperar tanto tiempo. Recuerdo cómo él fue a la esquina de la habitación y se puso aceite en la palma de la mano derecha. Entonces se me acercó y me zafó los pantalones, que eran piyamas de estilo indio. Comenzó a frotar el aceite en mi pene. Estúpidamente pensé que me estaba curando de demasiado deseo sexual. Entonces pegó su cuerpo al mío y yo podía sentir como me frotaba su pene erecto, mientras gemía y trataba de besarme en la boca. ¡Me sentía tan confundido que no podía pensar! Como no me estaba excitando se enfureció y me dijo: “Vete”, y comentó que me vería después. Yo me fui.
Le conté todo a Suresh y a Siddarth y ellos, junto con tres otros estudiantes, me dijeron cómo ellos frecuentemente habían sido molestados sexualmente por Sai Baba. Entonces comencé a darme cuenta de todo y me dijeron algunas cosas que verdaderamente me hastiaron. Mi fe y mi mundo habían quedado destrozados.
Le conté la horrible historia a Arthur Hillcoat y el grupo australiano. Para ellos, por supuesto, yo había perdido el juicio, se negaron a creerme y me corrieron del ashram.
Más tarde me enteré que E. K. Suresh y otro de los cinco estudiantes llamado Prabhu, estaban planeando secuestrar a Sai Baba y exponer su fraudulencia, sus mentiras y sus engaños. El resto es historia, ya que fueron matados a tiros el 6 de junio de 1993, para así poder mantener el silencio encubridor.
Me ha tomado años reponerme de esto. Mi abuso sexual por parte de Sai Baba no fue nada comparado con esos pobres seres que fueron matados, y conozco, mediante mi cercana amistad con ellos, el infierno que tuvieron que vivir por años.
¡Sólo me alegro que la verdad esté saliendo a la superficie y espero llegar a ver a Sai Baba caer fuerte y rápidamente!
John Purnell’s QuickTopic Post:
John Purnell submitted a comment to a QuickTopic board (which was subsequently deleted for abusive behavior by ex-devotees). However, Lisa De Witt cut and pasted John Purnell’s post to a Yahoo Group in 2004 (Ref):
John Purnell statement from Quick Topic board, post #139:
quicktopic.com/9/H/ehfcBK8qrWRYZ/
john 139 01-23-2004 05:35 AM ET (US) hope one of you guys can help me. i was not a student of baba but i was sexually abused heaps of times over 7 years. i knew e k suresh and prabu suresh as well as sai ram very well before they were killed. i am urgently trying to track down one siddarth sharma from simla who did his bcom in sssihl puttaparthi. please do any of you guys know him if so please where can i contact him, it is urgent. my email is johnpurnellsj@... i hope someone can help me thanks guys !!!!!
quicktopic.com/9/H/ehfcBK8qrWRYZ/
john 139 01-23-2004 05:35 AM ET (US) hope one of you guys can help me. i was not a student of baba but i was sexually abused heaps of times over 7 years. i knew e k suresh and prabu suresh as well as sai ram very well before they were killed. i am urgently trying to track down one siddarth sharma from simla who did his bcom in sssihl puttaparthi. please do any of you guys know him if so please where can i contact him, it is urgent. my email is johnpurnellsj@... i hope someone can help me thanks guys !!!!!
John Purnell completely changed his story and claimed that he was “sexually abused heaps of times over 7 years”, contradicting his original story of being allegedly molested once in his 7th interview in December 1992. John Purnell again professed intimate friendship with men who were later to viciously murder two of Sathya Sai Baba’s attendants and seriously wound two others.
John Purnell’s Guestbook Submission To SaiSathyaSai.com:
From: John Purnell (June 9th 2006 - 01:50:54)
IP: 58.167.245.154 (CPE-58-167-245-154.wa.bigpond.net.au)
Subject: (Guestbook Submission)
To: SaiSathyaSai.com Guestbook
I would love a response from you to my question......I was a devotee for 7 years and had many private interviews with sai baba..... in the last couple he tried to masterbate me vigorously with oil, then please explain as to why he showed me clearly his erect penis and why the hell did he try to shove it in my mouth complaining that I no longer LOVE him ??? Not to mention forcing me onto the ground of the private interview room and telling me he is God and that all is ok, Trying to shove his erection into my anus ??? Of course I was shattered after all this even to the point of suicide, like many of his REAL VICTIMS I thought he was God...Miracles..... just watch his hands at all times then you will see it is so obvious. My story is the TRUTH that you devotees always claim is paramount.....I am not the only victim hundreds upon hundreds are now telling the TRUTH.....If you can explain why God would want me to perform oral sex on him and WHY the hell God would want to penetrate my anus then PLEASE do email me with your response....I am waiting !!!!!! Look sadly the truth is Baba is a great scam like Rajneesh and ALL Indian God men ..... Look deep beyond the SHOW exterior and all you see is rotten to the core.
LONG LIVE TRUTH because TRUTH will never fail in the end.....My dear dear devotees I know the pain that is in store for you.......be prepared as Baba will fall off his throne oneday and sadly you will be shattered by the TRUTH. You ARE in my prayers.
John Purnell
Ex Baba devotee REAL NAME AND REAL EMAIL ADDRESS !!!!!
IP: 58.167.245.154 (CPE-58-167-245-154.wa.bigpond.net.au)
Subject: (Guestbook Submission)
To: SaiSathyaSai.com Guestbook
I would love a response from you to my question......I was a devotee for 7 years and had many private interviews with sai baba..... in the last couple he tried to masterbate me vigorously with oil, then please explain as to why he showed me clearly his erect penis and why the hell did he try to shove it in my mouth complaining that I no longer LOVE him ??? Not to mention forcing me onto the ground of the private interview room and telling me he is God and that all is ok, Trying to shove his erection into my anus ??? Of course I was shattered after all this even to the point of suicide, like many of his REAL VICTIMS I thought he was God...Miracles..... just watch his hands at all times then you will see it is so obvious. My story is the TRUTH that you devotees always claim is paramount.....I am not the only victim hundreds upon hundreds are now telling the TRUTH.....If you can explain why God would want me to perform oral sex on him and WHY the hell God would want to penetrate my anus then PLEASE do email me with your response....I am waiting !!!!!! Look sadly the truth is Baba is a great scam like Rajneesh and ALL Indian God men ..... Look deep beyond the SHOW exterior and all you see is rotten to the core.
LONG LIVE TRUTH because TRUTH will never fail in the end.....My dear dear devotees I know the pain that is in store for you.......be prepared as Baba will fall off his throne oneday and sadly you will be shattered by the TRUTH. You ARE in my prayers.
John Purnell
Ex Baba devotee REAL NAME AND REAL EMAIL ADDRESS !!!!!
As one can see, John Purnell continues to embellish his story with additional claims. For an in-depth and very revealing correspondence with John Purnell regarding his claims, see John Purnell Emails.