Das Ganu Maharaj
i.e., Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasra-buddhe, Brahmin, Kirtankar, aged about 78, residing generally at Nanded. (Nizam's State)

Poona, June 1936.

Commr : What is your name?
Baba : They call me Sai Baba.
C : Your father's name?
B : Also Sai Baba.
C : Your Guru's name?
B : Venkusa.
C : Creed or Religion?
B : Kabir.
C : Caste or race?
B : Parvardigar (i.e. God)
C : Age, please?
B : Lakhs of years.
C : Will you solemnly affirm that what you are going to say is the truth.
B : Truth.
C : Do you know the accused so and so?
B : Yes, I know him and I know every one.
C : The man says he is your devotee and that he lived with you. Is that so?
B : Yes, I live with every one. All are mine.
C : Did you give him jewels as alleged by him?
B : Yes I gave him. Who gives what to whom?
C : If you gave him the jewels, how did you get them and become possessed of them?.
B : Everything is mine.
C : Baba, here is a serious charge of theft. That man says that you delivered the jewels to him.
B : What is all this? What the devil I have to do with all that?

The commissioner was floored by such answers. He did not know what to take down. Baba was mostly in a mood to say yes to every question. Then it was suggested that the best course would be to send for the village diary. The arrival of every stranger and the dates of his stay in the village are duly noted in it. If the accused who was of course a stranger to the village was not there at or about the time of his alleged receipt from Baba, that might be taken down. The diaries were sent for and they showed that no such person like the accused was at Shirdi at the time in question. Of course, it was well known that Baba never left Shirdi or its neighbourhood. Then the Commissioner put it to Baba, that no such person was in the village of Shirdi and with Baba at Shirdi at the time in question and that Baba gave him no jewels and Baba said that was so and this was Baba's final statement. The examination was then over.

Baba was not asked to sign or put his mark. The commission's evidence was sent to Dhulia. The accused was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment.

Baba's age is a thing one cannot fix. Nor can his race and parentage be easily fixed. Forty years back I saw an old lady Salubai Shelke of Shirdi then aged 65 or 70. She told me that when she was married and that was in her eighth or tenth year, Baba came to Shirdi looking as he looked when we saw him (1895) i.e. 40 or 50 years old. Another old lady Sai Bai said, "Baba came to Shirdi as a lad". This seems to make Baba's age over 100 at his Mahasamadhi. Who dare ask Baba about his age and antecedents? So nothing definite is known.