Sevalaya denies physical, sexual abuse allegations

Chennai, Jan 2 (UNI) Sevalaya, a city-based charitable trust, today denied media reports of exploitation, physical and sexual abuse of children on its school premises, based on allegations by a German-based NGO.

Talking to reporters here, Sevalaya Founder and Managing Trustee V Muralidharan said the allegations were false and part of an attempt by the NGO Yoga-Vereinigung Rajagopalan (YVR), which was funding Sevalaya till 2005, to tarnish the institution's image.

He alleged that YVR's Indian representative, Rajagopalan, started creating a lot of issues in the school recently. He repeatedly wanted accounts of the funds donated by him, which were already given to him as a policy of the organisation soon after the funds were disbursed.

''Slowly, he also wanted the accounts of the funds totally used by the organisation, which was denied. After we informed YVR that we would not deal with their newly-appointed Indian representative because he created nuisance in the organisation, YVR has been harrasing us,'' he claimed.

Mr Muralidharan said following YVR's complaints, Sevalaya was subjected to allround investigation.

''We were subjected to 17 inspections during the last one year.

However, both the district administration and police have given us a clean chit,'' he said, adding that ''we will be approaching the court very shortly.'' UNI SNR SW HT1952