Maharashtra ATS Cracks Fake Religious Trust In Beed, 4 Accused Allegedly Divert ₹4.73 Crore In Donations

Mumbai, Jan 09: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has registered a case against four persons for allegedly floating a fake religious trust, opening multiple bank accounts using forged documents, and collecting Rs 4.73 crore from the public in the name of charitable and religious activities. Based on the ATS complaint, the case has been registered at the Majalgaon Rural Police Station in Beed district, officials said on Friday.

According to the ATS, the accused created a trust named “Gulzar-e-Raza” and projected it as a charitable organisation to solicit public donations. Investigators alleged that the trust had no legal registration and operated using forged documents, including fabricated trust registration numbers, PAN details and bank records.

The ATS investigation revealed that the funds collected through the trust were allegedly misappropriated for personal gain. The accused have been identified as Imran Kaleem Sheikh, a resident of Ambajogai in Beed district; Mujammil Noor Sayyed of Patrood in Majalgaon; Ahmadduddin Kaiser Qazi of Kaij in Beed; and Taufiq Javed Qazi, a resident of Andheri West in Mumbai.

According to the complaint, all four accused projected themselves as trustees of the purported trust and used their positions to open multiple bank accounts, collect donations and divert the funds for personal use. Two of the accused have been arrested, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining suspects, officials added.

The case surfaced during a routine verification exercise carried out by the ATS’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar unit, which examines the functioning of trusts and non-governmental organisations from a national security perspective. During the exercise, officials came across the website of the Gulzar-e-Raza trust, which listed multiple bank account details and appealed for public donations for religious activities.

Subsequent verification revealed serious discrepancies in the trust’s claimed registration and statutory compliance. According to the ATS complaint, the trust was neither registered with the office of the Charity Commissioner in Beed nor listed on the Union government’s Darpan portal, which is mandatory for NGOs seeking official recognition or funding.

Investigators also found that the registration number cited by the trust actually belonged to another organisation based in Ahilya Nagar, indicating that a forged registration number had been used. The PAN number mentioned on the trust’s letterheads and website did not match the details submitted to the bank, suggesting deliberate forgery, the ATS alleged.

The ATS further claimed that the accused submitted forged bank statements to the Income Tax Department in an attempt to conceal the actual flow of funds and lend legitimacy to the trust’s operations.

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Officials said the alleged operation had been ongoing for several months. Investigators are now examining how the funds were utilised and whether more individuals were involved in the racket.

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