India Tribue has a detailed article on Pankajbhai trivedi’s murder case titled “PARIVAR TOP BOSSES SUSPECTED.” Aug 6, 2006
From News Dispatches Ahmedabad: A Non-Resident Indian of Ohio was murdered by four unidentified persons on June 15 evening just outside a club, police said. The victim identified as Pankaj Trivedi (43) was clubbed to death by the four assailants just after he stepped outside the Ellisbride Gymkhana, police said. Officials said that the watchman of the club could have witnessed the incident, as it was he who had raised an alarm about the attack. Police is on the lookout for the assailants and are probing the reasons behind the murder.
Officials said that preliminary probe revealed that the victim was a resident of the United States and was in town recently. “The victim had also feared for his life from some persons of a powerful religious sect. We are investigating the matter”, an official said. Meanwhile, on June 19, even four days after Pankaj Trivedi was murdered, the police were still groping in the dark. Seemingly restrained by the influence of the socio-spiritual organization involved, investigations seem to be going at a tardy pace and have been transferred to the CID (crime).
Now the focus is on five persons named by Trivedi in letters found from his car, but none has been questioned so far. According to police sources, Trivedi had written letters to the President, the Chief Minister, the State Home Minister, the director general of police and the Ahmedabad police commissioner, indicating that his life was under threat. “If any of my family members or myself is hurt or murdered, then the following people should be questioned,” wrote Trivedi in his letter to the President on November 10, 2005.
He named Dhanshree Talwalkar, alias ‘Didi’, Bharat Bhatt, a parivar member, Dhiren Joshi, Prashant Rawal, a retired sessions judge, and Manish Shaushali, a resident of Rajkot. “We have information that Trivedi in his letter to the President accused five persons, including Dhanshree Talwalkar alias Didi.
We would be interrogating the deceased’s family members, and action would be taken against anyone whose name would emerge,” said Ellisbridge police inspector, N.K. Rathod. When asked about the letters deputy commissioner of police (zone 1) A.K. Jadeja said, “We have not questioned anyone accused in the letters since the case is being investigated by the CID crime. However, we are investigating involvement of professional killers hired to murder Trivedi.” Preliminary post-mortem reports indicated that Trivedi was attacked thrice with a hard blunt weapon in the head.
Meanwhile, the cell phone number found in Trivedi’s car is from Jamnagar. Trivedi’s family members are to arrive in Ahmedabad soon for his funeral. “We would also be taking their statements and ask whether they suspect anyone,” Jadeja said.
Jagdish Shah, a close friend of Trivedi said on June 17 that even he has been receiving threat calls. “I had got three calls on my cell phones and two more on my land line numbers. The person on the line threatened me to be prepared for dire consequences,” says Shah. Shah has also applied for police protection at the Satellite police station. One more person, Pradeep Shah, associated with the organization, has also sought police protection.
Trivedi had also written a letter to the Resident Agent In-charge of US Secret Service based in Dayton, Ohio, seeking protection for himself and his family and addressed to Todd R. Bagby. Trivedi wrote: ‘’Seeking appropriate protection for me and my family from the leader and fanatic followers of ‘Devotional Association of Yogeshwar’ also known as ‘Swadhyay’, whose unethical and illegal activities I have exposed.
The head of the organization is Jayashree Talwalkar a.k.a Didi.’’ Trivedi further wrote: “On April 1, 2006, outside the Newark airport in New Jersey, four unknown people threatened me and asked me to stop all my activities related to exposing the unethical work of ‘Swadhyay’ organization. This is one of the several incidents that myself and my family have faced in the US and India ever since I started asking questions openly about the motives and financial activities of this organization.” Claiming that he was also being falsely implicated, Trivedi wrote: “My biggest concern is that they have become so desperate now that the media has started to take notice of their unethical work that they might fabricate evidence against me and my family.
“One such incident happened last week. They had falsely written a letter to an unknown person under my name claiming that I had intentions of hurting President George Bush. Rightfully, concerned, Secret Service agents investigated me. While I gave you my full cooperation since I didn’t write that letter and have absolutely no political interest anywhere, my concern is that Didi and her followers are so powerful and well-connected that they will continue to do such things to harass me.
” Trivedi claimed in his letter that he was associated with the Swadhyay Parivar since 1972. “At that time, the main objective was to spread the philosophical aspect of Hindu religion.
However, over the last five years, I found the organization has been collecting millions of dollars and not a penny spent on the cause for which the money was collected.
When I started asking questions, I was harassed,” Trivedi wrote, adding that “During my investigations I found: ” * After 2001 Gujarat earthquake, Devotional Association of Yogeshwar collected about $4.2 million from people in the US. The founder’s niece claimed that they have built around 40,000 houses for the earthquake victims, but a UN report suggests that only about 10 per cent of the money collected was spent. * In the UK, the organization had collected about 310,097 pounds for that cause but only about 10 per cent of it was transferred to India. I have a letter from the government of Gujarat that this organization has not built any houses and have no “MoU” with it. *
They have forcefully closed “Bhavnigar Temple” in Ahmedabad, claiming that it is a property of the trust. However, the money to build temple was collected from people and government. I have registered a legal case against them to reopen the temple, in Ahmedabad Civil Sessions Division Court and the case No. is 567/ 2002. *
There are several complaints against me in various courts in Gujarat. On March 8, 2006, the High Court of Gujarat threw away all the cases against me and asked the followers to stop harassing me. “If anything happens to me or my family in India or the USA, Jayshree Talwalkar (aka Didi), her husband Niwas Talwalkar and their followers are responsible for that,” Trivedi wrote in the letter.
On June 16, a close friend of Trivedi, Jagdish Shah, said: “I am aware of that letter. Pankajbhai had spoken to me in that regard.” “Two months back, an attempt was made to attack Trivedi in Gondal. He had lodged a complaint with the police there,” Shah said. According to Shah, “Pankajbhai had also informed the Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of State for Home Amit Shah and Law Minister Ashok Bhatt about the irregularities done by Swadhyay members in using foreign funds for the earthquake. He had also expressed fear that he and his family are facing threat to life.” Swadhyay members could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Meanwhile, the police are clueless about the absconding accused. Police said that while they were investigating the rivalry angle in Swadhyay, nobody had lodged a complaint in this regard. “So we are keeping the investigation open,” police said.
This is India Tribune article from August 2006. Since than we have Bharat Bhatt, Ghanshayam Chudasama and several others long time Swadhyayees are charged with murder of Pankajbhai. This crime was not committed for any personal gain but on behalf of Swadhyay. NRI Swadhyayees are lost as to why such things happen under the name of religion? Didi might get an oppertunity to explain to us during her upcoming visit to Chicago. - Vijay Mehta