This 85 Year Old Granny's Face Is Used For Charity Drives, But She Has Property Worth Crores!

When Sameer Badade and his wife went shopping for jewellery at P N Gadgil and Sons in Abhiruchi Mall on Sinhagad Road, on Friday, for a forthcoming wedding in the family, they were faced with an unexpected occurrence; and it had nothing to do with the price of the baubles. After making their purchase, as the Badades walked up to the donation box for the homeless propped alongside the cash counter, to make a small contribution, they were taken aback to see the smiling face of Badade's grandmother, Radhabai Ganpat Satpute, plastered as a poster girl for the donation drive, by non-governmental organisation (NGO) International Longevity Centre, India (ILCI).

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Interestingly, 85-year-old Radhabai owns property worth Rs 1.50 crore in Dhayari and Sinhagad Road, and she is far from the lonely and helpless woman that she is projected as in the picture.

Both Radhabai and her grandson are incensed by the NGO's cavalier stance of using the picture for a donation drive for the homeless. Badade has given a written complaint against the NGO at the Abhiruchi police chowky, and both have sought an apology from the organisation for tarnishing the image of their family. "I am all set to go to the police station on Wednesday to file an FIR against representatives of the NGO," said Badade.

Radhabai recalled being photographed by members of the NGO four years ago. One day when she was seated on the stairs of Parvati hills, where she had a flower shop, some people approached her saying that they were conducting a health camp and offered her some free medicines. They clicked her pictures and left without telling her about their intent. "I can see that they are the same pictures that have been used by them for their brochures," said Radhabai. "My grandchildren will be insulted if anyone who knows us comes across these pictures. People would then arrive at their own analyses and feel that my grandsons do not take care of me. The NGO should apologise to me and my family."

Badade emphasised that he and his brother look after their grandmother, and that she owns properties across the city. "She is not lonely. It was insensitive of the NGO to use her picture without our consent," said Badade. Meanwhile, after Mirror got in touch with PN Gadgil and Sons, a statement was issued by them which underlined that they had given permission to the NGO to keep their donation boxes at the shop. Satish Kuber, sales head of PN Gadgil and Sons said, "Before giving permission, we had checked the credentials of the NGO, and only after we found that they were genuine in the work they do, did we permit them to use our space. We do not toothcomb the publicity material they stick on the donation boxes." He added that the company only maintains records of the collections and that representatives of the NGO handle the money. "We have no intention of hurting anyone's sentiments," he stated.

However, Anlai Raje, executive director of ILCI , contradicted the family's claims. She said that Radhbai was in fact a beneficiary of the Ajibai Sathi Batwa project since 2011. The project aims to provide medical assistance to needy and elderly women above 60. "We have all the evidence to prove that the elderly woman had given her consent to become a beneficiary of this project," said Raje.

She claimed that on Februay 9, 2011, Radhabai had pleaded that she was homeless and gave her consent in the form which was filled with the help of the NGO's coordinator. "Since then, she has been regularly getting medicines. As a part of the registration process, she also had submitted her voter ID and ration card photocopies. The allegations that the woman has never got any help from the NGO is false," Raje said.

(Originally published in the Pune Mirror)