‘NEED A SPECIAL TEAM TO LOOK INTO DIVERSION OF OSHO FUNDS’

A special team is likely to be formed to probe allegations pertaining siphoning of funds from Osho Foundation to bank accounts of individuals abroad.

Public prosecutor Sandip Shinde on Tuesday informed the Bombay high court that a single police officer will not be able to handle the entire probe and a special team is needed to investigate the case from all aspects.

He informed the division bench of justices Naresh Patil and PD Naik that the police will require to scrutinise records available with the Charity Commissioner’s office relating to the trust, investigate the source of funds and the alleged diversion of funds. He said though as per directions of the court a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) is supervising investigation, it will be difficult for a single officer to investigate all aspects of the matter and assistance of persons conversant with financial aspects will also be required.

Shinde was responding to a petition filed by Yogesh Thakkar, a Pune resident and follower of Osho, alleging that though the Koregaon Park police station registered an offence three years ago on the basis of his complaint regarding forgery of the spiritual guru’s signature on his purported will and diversion of funds of Osho Foundation, no steps have been taken by the police .

According to Thakkar’s counsel, advocate Pradip Havnur, though the FIR was registered on December 8, 2013, the police did not bother to obtain the handwriting report from the experts to ascertain the veracity of Osho’s will which surfaced in a Spanish