Multi-crore scam in Osho's ashram
Litigation on Osho Foundation trustees over siphoning of money
Osho trustees face serious embezzlement charges
Sprouts Exclusive: Unmesh Gujarathi
Supporters and funders of the Osho Foundation and OshoSamadi headquartered in Pune’s Koregaon Park have alleged that a few foreigners who control the Trust are siphoning money by selling the properties of the Osho Commune and diverting it into their personal accounts. The said complaint was filed on July 7, 2021 with the Koregaon police station. The said FIR mentioned that as of now the misappropriation of funds is to the tune of INR 107 crores.
The complainants also stated that this figure happens to be the tip of the iceberg as far as the total figures that should be accounted for. One of the complainants, Yogesh Thakkar known by the name Swami Premgeet in Koregaon said. “We want to protect the legacy of Bhagwan Rajneesh or Osho from decay or rot, because of a few trustees of foreign origin indulging in the sale of properties and sending the proceeds of the sales to their private accounts in Hong Kong.
In his complaint, Thakkar has named Trustee Michael Byrne known as Swami Anand Jayesh, Dr John Andrews also known as Dr. George Meredith, Darcy Obyrne alias Swami Yogendra and five others, some of them who reside at the Osho Ashram. The complaint first made mention of an instance in which USD 370,000 was siphoned by the said accused. Yogesh informed Sprouts that the complaint was made on the basis of a German woman who noticed the anomaly. He also elaborated that the accused persons do much the same with people who purchase property at the Koregaon Park to ensure a trouble-free stay whenever they decide to visit the Osho Commune’s headquarters. “Many of them fail to complain for fear that their stay at Koregaon Park might get banned by these powerful trustees,” he added.
The trust covered under the aegis of Osho International Fund (OIF) carries out imparting knowledge and education in the fields of humanities, sciences, and other fields for development of skills that include engaging with the mind and cultivating character. The trusts in India, whose revenues and incomes get siphoned, include Rajneesh Foundation and OIF.
The accused, Michael Byrne is currently an Irish citizen and also happens to be the controller of OIF in Zurich, the FIR stated. The FIR also states that he is the controller of INR 1500 crores besides the royalty incomes he gets in millions of dollars from overseas destinations. He is also named as the prime accused in siphoning funds from India to destinations like US, UK, Switzerland and Ireland.
As the charges keep mounting, Yogesh and a group of friends who are fighting the battle to protect and preserve the OIF and other allied bodies in India are pleading for a speedy recourse to justice. Repeated attempts to contact the accused failed.
Unmesh Gujarathi (9322 755098)