23 years after Osho’s death, his WILL presented in court
Daily Bhaskar
Dailybhaskar.com, September 19, 2013, 18:32 PM IST
Pune: The spiritual leader Osho also known as Shree Rajneesh died in Pune on 19, 1990. At that time there was no mention of his will document. But in a dispute over trust properties between rival factions of Osho’s followers has taken a strange trun. A saction controlling Osho’s properties has produced a purportedly certified copy of Osho’s will, 23 years after his death.
According to a report in Firstpost, the document presented as Osho’s will has suddenly surfaced during a court proceedings in the European Union. Osho’s followers in India were alerted to this development in June, 2013. This will signed by Osho has now been challenged in a Pune court as a forged will and the case before Civil Judge (Junior Division) U.L. Pathak is slated to come up for hearing on September 24. The will dated 16 June 1989 bearing Osho’s signature states that he is bequeathing all properties in his name, including ownership and publishing rights to the Neo Sannyas International Foundation, a Swiss charitable trust. Signed on a stamp paper of Rs10, Michael O’Byrne (Swami Anand Jayesh), president of Osho Foundation International, Zurich, has been identified as the executor of the will and two other foreigners, who are members of this Foundation, as the witnesses, namely, witnesses John Andrews (Swami Amrito) and Philip Toelkes (Swami Prem Niren).
The report further states that the petitioners Osho Friends Foundation & Others led by Yogesh Thakkar alias Swami Premgeet and Kishor Raval alias Swami Prem Anadi who have challenged the authenticity of the will have charged Michael O’Byrne, John Andrews and Philip Toelkes of forging the document and have urged the court to declare the will as null and void. They have also urged the court to permanently restrain the trustees from implementing the will and have also appealed for appointment of an administrator for safe custody of Osho’s properties which includes real estate and intellectual properties running into crores of rupees.