Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate, Hyderabad, and Telangana CID investigations have revealed that OM India Group of Charities (OMIF) allegedly systematically diverted and misappropriated charitable funds across multiple heads, ranging from tsunami relief to children’s education and Bible distribution. Funds of 4–5 crore collected after the 2004 tsunami for housing and boats for fishermen in Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh were allegedly siphoned off through fabricated bills and beneficiary lists, with no relief work executed. Donations meant for free Bible distribution, nearly 5.9 crore, were reportedly converted into commercial sales, generating unaccounted revenues of about 9.7 crore, investigators claimed.According to a CID chargesheet, OMIF collected around 4-5 crore in foreign donations for tsunami rehabilitation, but investigators found that no houses were built and no boats supplied. Instead, bills and beneficiary lists were allegedly fabricated and the funds siphoned off, with “low-level employees falsely implicated,” the record stated. CID and ED probe flagged alleged misappropriation of Bibles intended for free distribution. While foreign donations of 5.9 crore were received for free distribution, investigators alleged the Bibles were sold commercially through OM Books Foundation and other channels, generating unaccounted sales revenue of about 9.7 crore. Investigators alleged that roughly 80 lakh to 2 crore was misappropriated from such sales.Investigators pegged the larger fraud within OMIF and affiliated organisations at about 296 crore, alleging diversion of funds, falsified accounts and records by key functionaries including Dr Joseph D’Souza and Josh D’Souza. They cited alleged diversion of fee collections (about 112 crore), diversion of 26.87 lakh received under RTE and scholarship schemes, premature liquidation of fixed deposits (about 33.6 crore), and under-reporting in property transactions, including a deal where a 9.5 crore sale allegedly had only 5.5 crore recorded and 4 crore siphoned off. ED attachment order alleged foreign donations meant for education and welfare of underprivileged and Dalit children were transferred to GSCS and used for expenses and “acquiring various immovable properties,” forming “unauthorised diversion and generation of proceeds of crime.” It also alleged travel expenses charged to student sponsorship and humanitarian programmes without supporting documentation, and cash traced to Goa for purchase of two properties at undervalued documented rates. ED further alleged that Joseph D’Souza, Josh Lawrence D’Souza, OMIF, OMBF and GSCS were involved in money laundering.In their explanations to ED, the accused largely denied responsibility, with Josh D’Souza claiming he was not in charge of funds and shifting blame to a deceased employee, Sagay Raj (died in 2020). On FCRA-related issues, they cited suspension/non-operational status and justified creating private entities as a legal route to receive funds and continue operations. They also described inter-entity transfers as loans/gifts and denied cash involvement in property deals, though ED cited seized chats on cash movement to Goa were ultimately admitted as relating to a property purchase.
