The editor of the Auroville Files had filed a Public Interest Litigation on 5th March 2020, post the submission of the Enquiry Committee report to the Ministry of Education in September 2019. He is the sole petitioner in the case and the respondents are the Union of India represented by Secretary of Ministry of Education ( formerly known as Ministry of HRD ), Director of CBI ( Central Bureau of Investigation ), Director of ED ( Enforcement Directorate ) and the Chairman of Auroville Foundation. It prays for action on the Enquiry Committee report and also the Enforcement Directorate enquires the previous Chairman for irregularities. Post this, the Auroville lobby has been covering up the Enquiry Committee report and we collected many documents of the same. A new Governing Board was appointed, with the post of the Chairman seated by Shri. R.N. Ravi ( Governor of Tamilnadu ) and Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan ( Governor of Puducherry ) in the Governing Board with imminent persons in executive positions. During the pandemic, the case slowed down due to lockdowns, although the Auroville elite ( trustees and businessmen ) were busy trying to legitimise ill gained wealth passing gazette notifications as well.
The exhaustive PIL is purely to restore Auroville in accordance to its Charter, details of which are as follows. The case was adjourned to 24th August 2022, and the editor of the Auroville Files is appearing party-in-person. The first Affidavit in 2020 sets the larger concerns in Auroville & the Additional affidavit filed recently are on the developments of cover-ups and lobby. Typed Sets of documents will be uploaded soon.
Our work is purely on merit and integrity for which we will stand by, and we do not have the band with like the Auroville lobby to flood social media or spread petitions online. We submit all our work at the feet of the Divine Mother.
Affidavit of Petitioner ( filed during registration ):
ADDITIONAL AFFIDAVIT
1) I humbly submit that while the current Governing Board is implementing the gazetted Masterplan made by architect Roger Anger, many deliberate encroachments of Aurovilians on the way of the Crown Road (main road of Auroville which is only 2% of the entire Masterplan to be completed) have come to light. They have planted trees, built houses, party venues and are resorting to any which way possible to stop implementation of the gazetted plan. Many factions of the land mafia gangs are lobbying at various levels to stop criminal investigation and legitimising illegal land purchases. The Under Secretary was also appointed as the Acting Secretary for a year despite the Enquiry Committee Report submitted to the Ministry of Education, cited him as the Accused Officer. During this period, he has sought favours with many to legitimise their ill gained wealth and fixed assets. He also passed a gazette which citied that Aurovilians can now purchase land in the Green belt of the Masterplan area with the approval of the Auroville Foundation, without the knowledge of the Resident Assembly or the Governing board. He revealed this 3 months later to the Residents of Auroville, who later wrote complaints to revoke the same, to no avail. It was found out that the Under Secretary, Srinivas Murthy passed undue favours to many Aurovilians including his wife, an Aurovilian, to purchase lands inside the Masterplan area. It is also found out that in full knowledge of the Government Order (Ms) No. 6 dated 20.01.2003, the Under Secretary & the Working Committee never enforced the same. Many Benami properties, ill gained assets were citied many a time by Aurovilians, although no action was taken on them. Many public officers are themselves against implementation of the Masterplan, Aurovilians are lobbying at many levels, funnelling land mafia criminal activities, actively partaking and encouraging encroachments.
2) I further submit that while details of foreigners with criminal records staying illegally in our country cannot be sought from the FRRO through the Right to Information Act ( exempted ), a French Aurovilian Francois Gautier ( Journalist & Businessman having private trusts) is openly lobbying with the Minister of HRD ( Shri. Ramesh Pokhariyalji), Home Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and also the Director of National Investigative Agency ( who he dearly calls super cop of India ) to seek closure of actions on the Enquiry Committee report, submit vexatious evidence against me ( edited ) and asking for visas for foreigners accused of various crimes ranging from flying a glider over secured areas, drug trafficking, pedophilia and many others. He is also boldly gloating about getting illegal favours for business activities on x entry visa and seeking OCI for kids in Auroville. The emails of the conversation of this journalist with various other Aurovilians who are accused in the Enquiry Committee Report reveal the deep nexus and the tentacles of the power of these Aurovilians. Despite the previous Governing Board citing clearly in their Minutes of Meeting that no liaison of Aurovilians to Government offices are permitted, the previous Working groups have been financing his travel expenses and also appointed the journalist to represent them, for dubious liaison activities. While, no action has been taken on visas, it is imperative to note that the FRRO has extended the renewal period of Auroville visas to 5 years, making Auroville a safe haven for crimes.
3) I humbly submit that after the submission of the Enquiry Committee report, some of the Aurovilians made their own investigative team without any purview of law and made a report called “Light for All”. This report, not made by a competent investigative agency as per statutory laws was submitted to the Ministry of Education, disregarding the Meeting of the Governing Board that it should be placed to the Board & to the Resident Assembly for review.
4) The Aurovilians who have vested interests in keeping the Masterplan at a moot point are holding illegal protests, illegal gatherings, giving false narratives to press, taking up to social media to denounce actions of the current Governing Board and the Secretary, stopping work of the laying of roads and also physically attacking public officers and their equipments. The Auroville Police Station has refused to take complaints of Public Officers, Aurovilians and even CPWD, for reasons best known to them. It is also known for decades that if any officer comes to bring about proper administration the lobby of these vested Aurovilians paint a wrong picture, stop them and even transfer them. Similarly, if any Aurovilian reveals corruption he is subjected to harassment by the Working groups threatening them with their visas, Aurovilian status, housing, livelihood or worse, while the state police gives a blind eye.
5) I further submit that as per Section 19 (d) of the Auroville Foundation Act the Resident Assembly has to take prior permission of the Governing Board for fund raising, although, this has been flouted many a times and huge amounts of donations are invested in mutual funds. A case of gold theft in the Matrimandir has not been solved, Tamil Heritage Scam have not been solved and it is seen that the previous Working Committees of Auroville have their hands in lobbying with the state police to stop, delay or derail investigation through liaison activities.
6) Auroville International, headquartered in Netherlands has around 34 centres across the globe collecting donations in the name of Auroville, a project under territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of India, showing poor villagers and glorious photographs of educating the underprivileged, enjoying all assets of the Government with no law. They also withhold 8.3% odd as their commission for collecting donations, although, the quantum of the money withheld by them is not known to the Indian Government, nor the residents of Auroville. They seem to have no government approval on the same and many Aurovilians who are accused in the Enquiry Committee Report are at the helm of affairs collecting donations internationally. An RTI bearing request no: AFOUN/R/E/22/00003 dated 23/05/2022 was filed with the Auroville Foundation which has not yet responded to, and further first appeal was filed. Many other businessmen, foreigners and Indians are also citied in the aforesaid RTI, in which foreigners are accessing, controlling and downloading emails of the Auroville Foundation, a statutory body under the Government of India.
7) I further submit that an RTI bearing request no: DOHED/R/E/22/00630 on 02/02/2022 was filed with the Ministry of Education. It revealed a huge scam in a housing project of Auroville viz. ‘Humanscape’, formerly known as Auroville Green Campus. The RTI was replied to, then retracted, then replied again by the Auroville Foundation. The Secretary of the Auroville Foundation further asked for central agency investigation and showcause notices were also sent to the Under Secretary.
8) I further submit that another RTI bearing request no: DOHED/R/E/22/02760 dated 09/05/2022 to the Ministry of Education also sighted the Joint Secretary (ICC) of the Ministry of Education, asking for special audit, results of which are yet to be submitted. The Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, again asks for central agency investigation. I also submit that the larger public was aware that the CAG is conducting direct audit of all accounts and trusts of Auroville annually, although the CAG has never done a direct audit and relies on internal audit reports submitted by the Working Groups. The CAG, although has cited many violations in their special comments in the Annual reports of Auroville Foundation for 5 years.
9) After submission of the Enquiry Committee Report to the Ministry of Education on September 2019, which citied NCB investigation into the rampant drug abuse in Auroville, the customs department caught a parcel of MDMA & Ecstasy pills from Germany & Netherlands in July 2020. One of the parcel was addressed to a woman in Auroville and it seems that no action was taken. Exporting drugs from Netherlands & Germany is punishable in their countries as well, which falls under the purview of the NIA, but no action has ensued emboldening foreign narcotic abusers. Post this, many such international parcels have been intercepted in and around Auroville, but no action has been taken on anything related closely to Auroville. Some illegal rave parties were also raided, but Aurovilians who partook or organised such activities are whisked away by the robust Auroville lobby.
10) I humbly submit that as per the teachings imparted by the Mother, Aurovilians are to work for and only for Auroville and are to contribute 100% of their earnings to Auroville, working on a fixed monthly maintenance and equal housing. Although, it is seen that 67% odd profit is taken by the Aurovilians without any proper accounting nor routing the monies through Auroville Unity Fund (Central Account of Auroville). It is also imperative to note that Auroville is 100% exempted by the Income Tax Department. This loophole lays the causeway of foreigners on voluntary visa to come and enjoy the benefits of conducting business without any purview of law, financed by public funds, without any set provisions of Foreign Direct Investment. These rules and principles are applicable to Indians as well, who flout the principles of Auroville.
11) The previous Auroville Outreachmedia engineered many false narratives, gave beautiful flowery cover-up articles for those accused of offences, shut down videos and social sites of others who write factual reports, while Auronet ( internal communication for Aurovilians ) deleted records of public offences. The ICC ( Internal Complaints Committee ) of Auroville has no time frame in redressal of complaints, as such, many cases from grievous attacks, child abuse, economic and land offences were kept out of the knowledge of the Residents of Auroville and the public at large. The victims are further victimised and justice is not only delayed, but non existent. It is known that an electronic audit of all such deleted emails and documents are underway, which is yet very secretive as interests of many are at stake.
12) I further state that while the responsibility of updating the register of residents of Auroville is with the Auroville Foundation, the Resident Assembly is uncooperative since they want a life without morals, ethics or trace of their existence, and the authorities have no clue of their whereabouts, housing, real names or contact details. The Resident Assembly of Auroville has 3300 odd residents of which the register of residents is not updated since 1983. Various reminders were given recently by the Auroville Foundation to no avail. Only 200-300 odd residents partake in selection of members of Working groups, while the others are non participatory. These participants are usually rallying for the freedom of their autonomy to lead a life without law and support the Auroville lobby members who protect them from law. Pizzas and refreshments are given as rewards to hoards of such residents, using public funds, to illicit and misguide people to support their dubious activities. I also submit that the members of the Working groups are not selected as per merit and Civil Services Act is not enforced on them, although they handle public grants, donations and assets without any purview of law or principles as laid down by the Mother.
13) I further submit that a book giving the facts of the takeover of Auroville with attached documents was written by Dr. Nirmalaya Mukherjee, Auroville: The Dream Hijacked. This book reveals how trustees and infighting between Aurovilians have destroyed the dream as envisioned by the Mother. It is seen that the people who perpetrated the takeover and their kins are in charge of helm of affairs, especially in Auroville Land Board, Working Committee and the FAMC for years. It also reveals the secrets and atrocities committed during the Emergency of 1975, engineered and perpetrated by foreigners using public officers and our own legal system, giving them an impenetrable spiritual blanket. It is also seen that sec (3) & (4) of the Auroville Foundation Act was wilfully not imposed, the lands of Auroville were never physically verified even though an Ordinance was enforced. By evading sec (4) of the Auroville Foundation Act, it paves a highway for the unchecked international parallel economy. The Kulkarni Committee report which set the tone for the enactment of the Auroville Foundation Act was never tabled in the Parliament, nor is it in the public domain.
14) I further submit that the Aurovilians involved in keeping the Masterplan at a moot point since 1983 have resorted in filing multiple cases against implementation of the same and have approached authorities like National Green Tribunal & Chief Secretary of Tamilnadu to declare the way of the Crown Road as an archaeological site. These ways and means are against the implementation of the Masterplan for which people across the world have donated crores. Due diligence of their vested interests is not taken into account by any government bodies and so far Rs. 7.64 crores of grants and from other sources were used for laying of the crown road from 2009-2018, although, not even 200 meters was laid.
15) I humbly submit that I have labored for 5 years to collect many such documents which can be submitted to investigative agencies or to the Hon’ble Court as and when necessary. During this span, I have been threatened, attacked, trolled and subjected to various atrocities. As per para no (2) in this affidavit it is clear that the Auroville lobby is trying to cite frivolous accusations and hyperbole stories on me, to silence the facts of the case. I humbly pray to the Hon’ble court that I be protected from any such frivolous complaints as per sections 11 & 12 of the Whistleblower’s Protection Act 2014. I am Friends of Auroville by status, am a spiritual seeker and I hold no motives to tarnish the project of Auroville which I hold dearly to my heart. Auroville, being an international township attracting many people across the world, it is imperative that for the sanctity of Auroville, a thorough investigation on land and economic offences should ensue. Only transparency, administration, ethics, criminal justice and eviction of Aurovilians involved in crimes, will truly restore the spiritual legacy of Sri Aurobindo & the Mother.
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