Teesta used NGO fund for luxury items: Betrayed riot victims’ trust

Ahmedabad, March 21: Activist Teesta Setalvad, the messiah of Gujarat riots victims, has spent NGO funds for wine, shoes and on Beauty Parlour; the same fund which was expected to be used for its declared ‘cause’, projecting the Gulberg society as the “Museum of Resistance”.

From the detailed scrutiny of credit card payments by the Activist, the most shocking fact comes forward that Teesta Setalvad made payments from the CJP’s account (her NGO) towards wine and liquor purchases from Chincholi wines Mumbai and Duty Free Shop of Mumbai airport, movie tickets from PVR cinemas and regular grocery purchases from Willingdon stores, Mumbai.

Interestingly the Shopping expenses in Kuwait Dinar, US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euro, Pound Sterling and Pakistani Rupee have been noticed in the credit card expenses.”

The otherwise unobjectionable purchases became objectionable when the purchase details tell that they are made from the funds from the NGO, whose main trustees are Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand.

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Notably, Teesta and her husband under the guise of providing financial and legal help and promising rehabilitation of the riots victims have induced the residents of the Gulberg society to co-operate with them.

Having received huge foreign donations for the upliftment of the riots victims, their rehabilitation, putting up of the “Museum of Resistance” as promised to the complainants and other victims, the accused have committed the offences referred to in the F.I.R. and have siphoned off the amounts to their personal use.

By spending the fund received from the Muslims from all over the globe for the help of riot victims and especially converting the Gulberg society into the “Museum of Resistance” which was conceptualised by Teesta.

Milking from the donations for such emotional social cause and spending them for personal family luxuries like wines and beauty items is a betrayal towards the Muslims who blindly trusted Teesta Setalvad’s anti Narendra Modi tunes.

WOW: Teesta spent NGO funds for wine, shoes and Beauty Parlour

In recent developments, the Gujarat Crime branch has submitted the details of Setalvad’s financial transactions to the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has filed a detailed sur–rejoinder opposing anticipatory bail of Teesta and her husband Javed Anand. Ajay Choksi, Special PP, argued the matter in the Court of Session Judge at Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.

The investigation has revealed very interesting facts related to 3 credit card of Citi Bank having number 5520938031023006, 5520938045202125 and 5498520510664506 which belong to Teesta Setalvad.

The City Bank credit card number 5520938031023006 was issued in August 2009 and was closed in September 2010. Card number 5520938045202125 was issued in September 2010 and closed in June 2012 and card number 5498520510664506 was issued in June 2012 which is active till date. Total amount of Rs. 14.20 lacs have been paid towards the credit card dues from the FCRA and SB Accounts of Citizen for justice and Peace (CJP) of which Teesta and Javed are its chief trustees.

The data received from the City Bank show that substantial amounts are spent towards shopping, entertainment, foreign goods purchased, domestic requirements and other ancillary expenses of absolutely personal nature.

The Affidavit argues that the change of credit cards every year was intentional so as to avoid any scrutiny by the Income Tax Authorities. 

The Affidavit also stated that City Bank card details portray a shocking picture of how expenses of absolutely personal nature have been undertaken and sought to be explained away as miscellaneous expenses Teesta Setalvad.

The Police says that it will investigate as to how the Chartered Accountant who has audited the accounts of these 2 trusts have not noticed that the trustees are using the trust fund other than for the purpose received. Also whether the Board of Trustees of Sabrang Trust and CJP have ever authorized to Teesta and Javed, as repeatedly claimed by them, to meet such purely personal expenditure is a subject matter of investigation will also be scrutinised.

The Police have submitted the following summary of total funds received by CJP and Sabrang Trust vis-à-vis amount transferred by them to their personal family accounts, Sabrang Trust received Rs. 1,33,44,248, CJP received foreign donation Rs. 1,15,64,687, CJP received local donation Rs. 4,66,83,642. Total donation received Rs 7.16 crores

Police said that the donations received for public purpose cannot be permitted to be frittered away towards shopping, entertainment and such other expenses of a purely personal nature. The prosecution craves leave to place the credit card details for the kind perusal of the Court to highlight the manner in which the expenses sought to be made for achieving the object of the Trust, have actually been expended.