Buddhist monk under FERA inquiry

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 12: The general secretary of the Mahabodhi Society of India, Dr D Rewatha Thero, and another employee of the Society were...

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 12: The general secretary of the Mahabodhi Society of India, Dr D Rewatha Thero, and another employee of the Society were issued show cause notices by Enforcement Directorate for allegedly receiving US 51,000 and 55 million Japanese Yen in cash towards donations and exchanging the same illegally. Rewatha, a Sri Lankan national, and general secretary of the Society, and Nandlal Patel, a former servant of the Society at Sarnath, are to reply to the notice within a month. The amount was collected between 1989 and 1997, the show cause noticeSCN, signed by special director S S Bajpai, says. The SCN is a result of a year-long inquiry on the complaint of one Rajpal Rana, a former member of the governing committee of the Society. After he complained to FERA in 1998, Rana himself became the target of allegations from Rewatha, and is facing a case in Calcutta.

The Mahabodhi Society, a prestigious Buddhist organisation, is in the throes of an embarrassing power struggle following the charges against the high flying monk, Rewatha.

Meanwhile, other Lankan and Japanese office-bearers of Society have taken a serious view of the charges against him. The Society has sought his explanation as to whether these donations were reflected in the accounts or not. Dr Kyuse Ensinjoh, president of the society resigned from his post in September 1999 after Rewatha refused to resign pending the FERA investigation. That, even as lawyers for the Mahabodhi Society were writing to newspapers in Mumbai and UP, threatening to sue them for having carried reports of the alleged embezzlement of funds, and having 8220;hurt the lakhs of Buddhist disciples who are connected with the society8230;8221; The correspondence conducted by Rewatha with foreign donors/ patrons, gives an insight into the working of the Sarnath centre, where all the donations were received. In a letter to Asha Okada, one of the donors, he quotes an unbelievable US 2,40,000 as the price for constructing a temple at Lumbini in Nepal. The front park8217; of the temple would cost another US 46,000.

And for the wedding of a Japanese couple to be held at Sarnath, Rewatha the estimated expenses to one Dr Michiko Pia Mariciel Ito in Sept 1995 came to all of Rs 4,10,000. This includes hire charges of eleven elephants at the rate of Rs 6000 each, hire charges of 25 horses and 25 camels. For another wedding, he states that it will be held at Vatican City and the couple will 8220;get the blessings of the Pope.8221;

And among the receipts allegedly signed by Rewatha, and now with the FERA, is one for a sum of 8,000, from Eiichi Koshima of Japan, for the purchase of an ambassador car for Rewatha8217;s personal use. Not to speak of the endorsement of travellers cheques worth 76,500 in his passport. Included in the ED8217;s notice of amounts received since 1989 are: 8,000 from Elichi Hosina, Japan, JY 51 m and 20,000 from Asha Okada, Japan, 43,000 from one Mouriji, Japan, and JY 43,00,000 from Shanti Shukha, Japan. Rana has also alleged that Rewatha holds fixed deposits in banks in Varanasi with a woman called Malti Barua. While The Indian Express couldn8217;t get in touch with Rewatha, a reply confirmed that the ED had issued a SCN to Rewatha.