Disciples of Osho have urged Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to launch an investigation into activities of Osho International Foundation (OIF), a charitable trust, and also sought his intervention to stop the bid to sell two plots of the Osho Ashram at Koregaonkar Park in Pune delegation of Osho disciples earlier this week met the Governor and submitted him a memorandum of their demands.
Citing “financial distress” induced by the Covid pandemic, the Zurich-based OIF, which owns the sprawling Osho Commune in the Koregaon Park area of the city, has sought to sell two plots in the resort for Rs 107 crore. It has applied to the Charity Commissioner’s Office, seeking permission for selling the land. The matter is still pending.
The commune, the headquarters of the global sect established by Osho Rajneesh, had in March last year suspended its meditation activities, which drew the rich and the famous from around the world. The Foundation has decided to sell the two plots, each about 1.5 acres and which currently house a swimming pool and a tennis court, to Rajiv Bajaj, MD and CEO of Bajaj Auto, who lives on an adjacent plot. Since the OIF is a charitable trust, it filed an application before the office of the Charity Commissioner in Mumbai in January this year, seeking permission for the sale of the two plots.
However, a group of Osho disciples, who call themselves the Osho Friends’ Foundation (OFF), has now objected to the sale, and the Charity Commissioner has accepted the group as an ‘intervenor’ in the case. “According to the application filed by OIF before the Charity Commissioner, it is selling a part of the commune property for Rs 107 cr to neighbours Rajivnayan Rahulkumar Bajaj. Earnest money of Rs 50 cr has already been paid to the commune,” said Yogesh Thakkar of the OFF. Thakkar called the reasons for the sale “bogus”. “The OIF has made the application on bogus grounds that due to the Covid pandemic, they need maintenance money for the commune. So on one hand OIF has closed the doors of Osho commune on all of us and on the other, they want to sell the commune’s property which has been developed by thousands of Osho disciples in the presence of our Guru Osho,” he said.
Now OFF has written a letter to prime minister Narendra Modi and seek intervention in the matter
According to Osho sannyasini, Aarti Rajdan Pune Osho Aashram incurred a loss of 3 cr during the pandemic. If trust has asked him to collect the money then across the world followers of Osho will donate the money. For 3 cr loss, there is no need to sell the land.
Now the Osho followers have demanded that the Maharashtra governor should interfere in this matter. Meanwhile, Osho trust refused to comment on this.
