Osho’s disciples appeal to Centre to probe financial irregularities at Pune ashram
By Sneha Bhura Updated: October 29, 2021 22:04 IST
A two-acre plot of land in Pune is under contention
A handful of disciples of Osho in India have appealed to the Union government to set up an audit commission to investigate the dealings of Osho Ashram in Pune.
Oshodham, a meditation centre near Najafgarh in New Delhi, organised an event to appeal to Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, on Friday, to institute an enquiry panel to probe the working of Osho Ashram in Pune and conduct an impartial audit.
A two-acre plot of land adjacent to the Osho Samadhi in the Pune outpost of the Osho Meditation Resort is under contention. The disciples allege that the “foreigner” trustees of the ashram are trying to sell off the plot to Bajaj Autos with the help from builder lobby, Panchshil Reality of Pune and Mumbai.
“Osho ashram is not a piece of real estate. It has a Buddha field energy. It is our gurudwara, our samadhi, our pran and pratishtha (our life and prestige). You can’t sell it in pieces. For 40 years, dedicated disciples have created and nurtured this sacred space,” says Prem Geet, a managing trustee of Osho Friends Foundation in Pune. A sanyasan since the 70s, Geet took deeksha when he was 18 and lived inside the ashram with godman and cult leader Osho for 15 years. He is also considered a “whistleblower” of sorts for going public with property disputes and alleged financial embezzlement in the Pune ashram for more than 10 years now.