Ahmedabad, 13 March 2013

Members of Gulbarg Society reached the Ahmedabad Police Crime Branch on Tuesday to register complaint against Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand for “misappropriation of funds.”

A complaint signed by 10 former residents of the colony, including Firoz Pathan, Saeed Pathan and others has been tendered before the Crime Branch seeking probe into the funding of Teesta’s NGO. The complainants seek investigations into the funds, which were allegedly collected by Teesta and her husband Javed Anand’s NGOs-CJP and Sabrang Trust, for rehabilitation of the 2002 riots affected.

These complainants claimed that Setalvad and her husband had gathered funds in the name of the society. “Neither have they used the funds for reconstruction of houses, nor for the development of the museum….Hence it is a clear case of cheating, fraudulent activities, criminal conspiracy to keep the matter alive by fraudulently taking us into confidence and misappropriation of funds,” the complaint reads.

Speaking to media persons, Feroz Pathan said he has the details of Fund that Teesta has collected from various countries of the world including South Africa, Kuwait, Netherlands etc. In only one year, Teesta received Rs 1.5 crore fund. Pathan said he received all details through Right to information act and he has all documents.

It should be mentioned that probe in another matter against controversial NGO operator Teesta Setalvad has been stayed by the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam.

About the complaint, in detail:

Teesta Setalvad who is campaigning in the Ahmedabad from the last two days has approached several Gulbarg Society members through Tanveer Ehsaan Jafri to patch up the differences. It is learnt that she is now offering good amount to the members to purchase their houses.

However, without taking her offer seriously, members of the Gulbarg Society, Ahmedabad, who are up in arms against Setalvad from the last one month for using them for her own good, have today filed a Criminal complaint against her to the Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Ahmedabad.

Complaint which is jointly signed by 10 members of the Society states that Every year on 28th February Setalvad used to organize functions where victims/eye-witnesses were projected as a show piece in front of Media. During such functions, various schemes for rehabilitation of riot victims, financial support and/or support for reconstruction of our houses were announced by Ms Setalvad under the banner of her NGO, CJP. She even promised to purchase all the damaged houses of our society at the current market price to convert the same into “Gulbarg Society Museum of Resistance”. But during the last ten years neither we were provided any financial support to reconstruct our houses by her nor was our society converted into a Museum.

Earlier 15 members of the society on 18.02.13 submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad for prohibiting all NGOs & outsiders from conducting any function in the Gulbarg society on 28.02.13 and later on 21.02.13 sent a notice to Ms Setalvad, requesting her to inform them how much money she has collected as donation in their name and why has she kept the money with herself and not distributed to the members of the society for reconstruction of houses and/or for conversion of society into a museum.

Since Teesta failed to respond within 15 days deadline, members filed a criminal complaint today in the Crime branch, Ahmedabad. According to complaint members have requested to register FIR against Ms Teesta Setalvad, Ms Javed Anand and other trustees of CJP and Sabrang Trust under section 420,406,403,418,120B, 467,468 and 477(A) of IPC and bring the culprits to the book after doing the necessary investigation.

Complaint further states that “ we came to know that Ms Teesta Setalvad from the last several years giving advertisements in her magazine “Communalism Combat” and on its website calling people to generously donate to develop a memorial for the victims of communal violence,i.e. “ Gulbarg Society Museum of Resistance”. Appeals were made to generously donate towards this idea in the name of “Sabrang Trust, Mumbai”. Ms Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand are the trustees of Sabrang Trust.

To prove that CJP, and Sabrang Trust have received foreign donation to the tune of Rs 63 Lacs in its Account No 014104000204736 with IDBI bank, Khar Branch, Mumbai and Rs 88 Lacks in Account 369102010802885 with United Bank of India, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai, respectively, members have enclosed the copies of Form FC-3 (Statement of Foreign contribution received by the NGO/Registered Trust) submitted by CJP and the Sabrang Trust in the Ministry of Home, Govt of India along with complaint. The members have stated that they are not aware how much money has been collected by CJP and Sabrang Trust in the form of local donation.

Complaint says that it is a clear case of cheating, fraudulent activities, criminal conspiracy to keep the matter alive by fraudulently taking us into confidence and misappropriation of funds. They have demanded to investigate the matter about how much money Ms Setalvad have collected in the account of CJP and Sabrang Trust and/or in the name of her any other organization for helping Gulbarg society members and/or developing Gulberg society museum. Members have also requested Police to investigate whether the money collected in the name of Gulbarg society was utilized for any other purpose, Name of Donors. and whether Teesta Setalvad with the intention to siphon of the money has transferred any amount in her personal account and/or in other accounts from these dedicated accounts where the foreign donation is received.

Members have requested the Police that till the pendency of investigation Bank accounts of CJP and Sabrang Trust be freezed so that Ms Setalvad may not be able to transfer the money to some other accounts.

Copy of the draft of complaint:

“Lift the stay on probe against Teesta in fabricated evidence case”
Read the notice to Teesta Setalvad by Gulbarg Society members and application to Police Commissioner