2006: Preet Mandir forced to vacate rented premises

Radha Kalyandas Daryanani Charitable Trust

Trust that owned property gave notice after suspected wrongdoing at women's rehab home

Much before Preet Mandir came under the scanner of the CBI, which days ago filed the chargesheet in the adoption racket, the Radha Kalyandas Daryanani Charitable Trust of Mumbai had asked it to shift from the premises the Trust had let out for a 'Home for Rehabilitation of Women and Children' at Seva Dham in Wadgaon Maval.

The contract was terminated in 2006 and Preet Mandir asked to shift, following media reports of suspect activities.

The Balwant Kartar Anand Foundation alias Preet Mandir ran the rehab home 42 km from Pune at the Sai Baba Seva Dham, Kanhe Phata between April 2004 and mid-2006. Preet Mandir was one of the 10 organisations given rented space and infrastructure at the 15-acre facility made available by the Mumbai-based Trust.

"The Sai Baba Seva Dham project that has 46 buildings was inaugurated in 1991. The idea was to make available infrastructure and buildings to voluntary organisations working for rural underprivileged, disabled and rural women in distress," said Dr Prem Daryanani, managing trustee, Radha Kalyandas Daryanani Trust. The organisations pay only maintenance charges, the rent being a formal Re 1 per year.

"In 2004, Preet Mandir officials approached us for one of our buildings to impart training to unwed mothers from rural areas, to make them self reliant," Daryanani said.

"Like other NGOs, Preet Mandir signed a contract with the Trust before using the facility. Gurpreet Bhasin, son of Joginder Singh Bhasin, the prime accused in the adoption racket and managing trustee of Preet Mandir, was the signatory," Daryanani added.

In June 2006 news broke in the media of wrongdoing at Preet Mandir. "We informed Bhasin that the contract was terminated. We asked him to vacate immediately. It was only after a month that the facility was handed back by Preet Mandir," Daryanani said.

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