New Delhi — Government agencies have launched an investigation into Pushpendra Kulshrestha and his ‘Trust India Foundation’ amidst allegations of financial misconduct.
Highlights:
- Blacklisted Pushpendra Kulshrestha under investigation
- Trust account holds over Rs. 6 crores
- Allegations of unauthorized transactions and financial misconduct
- Government agencies involved in the thorough investigation
The case highlights a series of questionable transactions and actions involving the trust. Pushpendra Kulshrestha, a prominent Indian author, commenced his literary journey as a poet and writer in the early 1990s.
In 2020, Pushpendra Kulshrestha enlisted Capt. Sikander A. Rizvi, an aviation company owner, is a founding trustee of ‘Trust India Foundation’. The Trust Deed was officially registered on February 27, 2020, naming three trustees: Pushpendra Kulshrestha, Capt. Sikander A. Rizvi, and Alka Prabhakar, a close associate of Pushpendra, who was unknown to Rizvi.
The trust’s office is located at Shop No. 34, Ch. Bashir Ali Market, Near Pari Chowk, Greater Noida, U.P. 201308, an address belonging to Rizvi and not Pushpendra.
Initial efforts to open a trust bank account at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Delhi were thwarted when Pushpendra’s blacklisted status was revealed.
This blacklisting stemmed from a criminal case filed by the Press Club of India (PCI) accusing Pushpendra of financial fraud during his tenure as Secretary General of PCI.
Subsequently, Pushpendra opened a Trust account at Karnataka Bank, Green Park Branch, New Delhi, where he already held a savings account. This branch later moved to Malviya Nagar.
Once the Trust account was operational, Pushpendra aggressively sought donations for the ‘Trust India Foundation’. By February 19, 2024, the account held over Rs. 6 crores.
Rizvi, the accounts manager responsible for overseeing the account, issued a letter to Karnataka Bank, Malviya Nagar Branch, requesting a halt to all transactions.
Rizvi claimed he was unaware of the transactions and had not authorized any payments. On February 28, 2024, Rizvi sent another letter to the bank demanding details of all transactions, particularly three significant transfers:
- Rs. 1 crore to Account No. 5671500100156601
- Rs. 1 crore to Account No. 5671500100165701
- Rs. 50 lacs to Account No. 5671500100170201
Despite these allegations, Karnataka Bank has not yet provided the requested transaction details or taken action on the account, which remains active.
These allegations have prompted government agencies to investigate the ‘Trust India Foundation’ and its operations thoroughly. The case has garnered significant attention, shedding light on the intricate and potentially illicit activities surrounding Pushpendra Kulshrestha and his associates.
The case revealed by the courtesy of factarian, Madhu Purnima Kishwar.
