"Charity drive" collects trouble

Sarubai Gaikwad, who heads the organisation, claimed that the organisation was managing a home for orphans at Indrayani Nagar Indori near Talegaon Dabhade. Gaikwad, a resident of C Anthony chawl, Dapodi told the police that there were 15 children at the home for the orphans including three girls. The orphan home, she said, was started in June this year.

The resident, John Fernandes, who submitted the complaint howeverquestioned why the organisation was trying to influence people by using the name of Mother Teresa for collecting the funds. Each one from the group had with them their identity cards and the letter heads bearing the name “Mother Teressa Saving Mission, sponsor National Mother of Nation Savitribai Phule Anath Ashram”.

The organisation had the registration numbers as MAH/562/98/Pune and F/14847/Pune. Intriguingly, while the name of the organisation was registered as Mother Teresa Jeevabhavi Sanstha, the letter head was bearing the name, Mother Teresa Saving Mission. The organisation had been registered in May, according to the certificate issued by the charity commissionerate.

The letter head said that the organisation was functioning at state-level and had instituted Krantijyot Rashtramata Savitribai Phule orphanage and child welfare centre. The letter head which also carried a picture of Mother Teresa urged people to donate generously for the work.

Fernandes told this paper that he contacted the provincial sister of Mother Teresa Missionaries office in Mumbai and enquired whether any organisation had been authorised to collect funds by using the name of Mother Teresa. After making the enquiries, Fernandes contacted the police and submitted the complaint that funds were being raised in such a manner. The persons issued receipts to the people for the donations, but there was no mention of the amount on the counter-foil of the receipts.

According to the police, enquiries were being made regarding the work carried out by the organisation. The police said although the complaint has been made, further action would be possible only after the enquiries had been completed.