Maharaj was even called to testify before a Kopargaon court, but he refused, stating that he had "been kept by God beyond the world and worldly pleasures," so he was not liable to give evidence to a temporal court of law. "The court is not the place to answer for what I do," he explained. The court, however, rejected a petition to have the case dismissed.
When Baba heard about this, he asked Rustom to have the case transferred to an Ahmednagar court, which would be more sympathetic and where they might have more influence. Rustom did so, and on Thursday, 20 September 1934, Baba sent Adi Sr., Vishnu and Dhake to Upasni Maharaj at Sakori with this message:
Baba is in financial difficulty at the moment and Maharaj should return the loan of Rs.15,000 which Baba sent him through Vajifdar in the days of Manzil-e-Meem. If Maharaj repays the loan, Baba will postpone his trip to the West and free Maharaj from his court trouble through the influence of his followers.
In the East and the West, Baba has wealthy, influential devotees [like Sir Akbar Hyderi], who could prevail on the Governor to help in the case and Maharaj would be free of it.
When this message was delivered to Maharaj, he replied:
It is since these plotters have joined hands to libel and harass me that the devotees who used to come to me and contribute donations no longer visit. I hardly have enough to fight the lawsuit and whatever valuables I had have been auctioned off.
Have I a storehouse of funds here? I am a poor beggar. The demand of money from one like me is a request to one who is hardly in a position to reply.
Look at my cattle! They are reduced to skeletons for want of fodder! Tell Merwan to take them away if he likes.
Also, tell him to move here and manage things. I now have nothing left with me. I am an empty shell — the kernel of which is eaten away!
For their own good, people serve me and pray to me, taking me to be Paramatma [God]. I permit them to do so.
Let some people praise me and others hate and harass me. I am for both. I am not bothered if some try to blackmail me, nor am I elated by eulogy.
Tell Merwan that I seek his forgiveness for not being of any use to him. By his own righteous deeds, he has realized God!