New Delhi: Noble Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi and his mentor Agnivesh are embroiled in a long-drawn legal battle over misuse of money of NGO - Mukti Pratishthan Trust - in which both worked together in nineties.
Satyarthi's Bachpan Bachao Andolan worked closely with Agnivesh's Bandhwa Mukti Morcha for over a decade before falling out in the nineties due to disparity between the two.
Swami Agnivesh had said that the differences between them were sorted out last September.
However, according to documents accessed by Hindustan Times, the picture is altogether opposite.
Both of them continue to play the blame-game in the case involving misappropriation of funds of the Trust.
Reportedly, Satyarthi was sued by the fellow trustees in 1997 for misusing huge sums of money from the Trust that worked to rehabilitate bonded laborers. The case was filed by Sheo Taj Singh who was said to be an executive member of Arya Sabha headed by Agnivesh.
According to Satyarthi, Singh acted as a proxy for Swami. He alleged that using Singh, Agnivesh was trying to grab the property of NGO that included a land at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and Gurgaon.
However, Singh altogether denied the allegations saying that he was not even part of Arya Sabha.
The case is pending since last 18 years.
Additional district judge Kamini Lau has warned on January 30 that she would take coercive action to bring the case back on track.
Court has given February 16 as the date for further hearing of the case.
In April 1997, the court appointed a receiver to collect details about the Mukti Pratishthan Trust's assets and funding. In 2010, the receiver said a report couldn't be filed without help from a chartered accountant. For almost five years, the two sides have not agreed over the appointment.
Swami Agnivesh said he was aware of the case when Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace prize but did not find it the right time to mention about it.
He told the daily, “There's no truth in Satyarthi's case. Infact, it's the opposite.”
Kailash satyartrhi could not be contacted by HT as he was out of the country.
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