2006 Hindustan Times article: Baha'i Spy Ring Busted

The following article was published by the Indian daily the Hindustan Times in July 2006. It initially created quite a stir on USENET and various other online forums, with the Baha'is defensive or otherwise wholesale denying the story's entire validity. Two follow-ups to the story appeared later on in hindu.com and webindia, which have been appended below with their links. An interpolated piece claiming to be a retraction of the story by the Hindustan Times was later posted on the USENET group talk.religion.bahai by Baha'i Susan Maneck in September of that year. However the so-called retracted item by Maneck was soon proven to be a forgery and fake by Susan Maneck herself, with the HINDUSTAN TIMES denying it had ever published such a retraction. The New Delhi police and the clerks office of the Indian Supreme Court were subsequently contacted by several individuals, including journalists, for comment. But they have thus far provided no further comment either to deny or to confirm the on-going nature of this story - ed.

HINDUSTAN TIMES

July 13th, 2006

SPY RING BUSTED? - Bahai trustees accused of embezzling funds

NAZIYA Alvi
New Delhi

IN A complaint filed in a city court, a few trustees of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bahais of India have been accused of espionage by their colleagues. Apparently, they were supplying classified documents from India's defence establishments to Israeli and Iranian spying agencies and making huge amounts in foreign currency. Taking cognisance of the complaint, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Kamini Lau, has directed the Economic Offence Wing Cell to immediately register a case against the accused persons. The court has also asked the cell to file a status report with it by August 10.

As per the allegations in the complaint, one of the accused, N.K. Bhudhiraja, general manager of finance with the spiritual organisation, forged an identity card and af fixed his photograph on an armed forces concessions form for fee baggage allowance, which is needed for military officials travelling to places in India and abroad. Apparently, he also used to travel under the fictitious name of 'Captain S. Budhiraja' of the air force station at Yelahanka.

Apparently, the accused, by using such impersonations and forgery managed to clandestinely penetrate into the prohibited defence establishment of the country and get hold of classified documents. In turn, he supplied the sensitive documents to spying agencies in Israel and Iran in return of foreign currency.

The complaint has also alleged that the stamp of the air force station at Yelahanka had been forged with some amount of accuracy and was being used by the accused trustees of the 'spiritual assembly'.

The complaint also alleges that another accused, Payam Shoghi, also a trustee with the society, is in truth an Iranian national. He fraudulently got his name inserted in the ration card of another
accused and also got it attested.

On the basis of the ration card he managed to procure an Indian passport. The complaint also states that such passports have been issued to a number of other foreigners by the accused people through a similar fashion of forgery.

The counsel of three complainants Swadesh Kumar, Khub Singh and Gulshan Kumar told the court that they have definitive documentary evidence to prove that the accused were, in addition to the other violations, involved in a large scale Hawala transaction network.

-

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20060818/425696.html

India
HC stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees
New Delhi | August 18, 2006 9:39:31 PM IST

The Delhi High Court today stayed the arrest of the trustees and management committee members of Delhi's Lotus temple, till September 25 on a complaint registered with the Delhi Police.

Justice A K Sikri directed the Economic Offence Wing(EOW) of the Delhi Police not to arrest the trustees and management committee members of the Lotus temple, founded by the Bahai faith, till the next date of hearing.

Trial Judge Kamini Lau, on the complaint of some of the former employees of the temple, had directed the Delhi Police to lodge a complaint against the trustees and management committee members who were allegedly involved in smuggling of classified defence documents, hawala transactions and religious conversions.

The trustees and members, some of them from Iran, also procured about 80 Indian passports by submitting false address proof, Counsel S S Tripathy and Sandeep Jain said.

Incidentally, Zina Sorabjee, the wife of former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee, is one of the trustees of the Lotus Temple, a tourist attraction in the capital.

Senior Counsel K K Sud appearing for the Bahai temple sought direction of the Court for quashing the FIR.

After lodging an FIR, the Delhi Police arrested Iranian Payam Shoghi from Indira Gandhi International Airport while fleeing from the country to Columbia on August 16.

The police had lodged the complaint against nine beneficiaries which included trustees and members of the managing committee.

-

UNI PAT AK ND1938

New Delhi

High Court stays arrest of Lotus temple trustees

http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/19/stories/2006081914800400.htm

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the arrest of the trustees and management committee members of Delhi's Lotus temple, till September 25 on a complaint registered with the Delhi Police.

Justice A K Sikri directed the Economic Offence Wing(EOW) of the Delhi Police not to arrest the trustees and management committee members of the Lotus temple, founded by the Bahai faith, till the next date of hearing.

Trial Judge Kamini Lau, on the complaint of some of the former employees of the temple, had directed the Delhi Police to lodge a complaint against the trustees and management committee members who were allegedly involved in smuggling of classified defence documents, hawala transactions and religious conversions. The trustees and members, some of them from Iran, also procured about 80 Indian passports by submitting false address proof, Counsel S S Tripathy and
Sandeep Jain said. Incidentally, Zina Sorabjee, the wife of former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee, is one of the trustees.- UNI