Animal welfare trust donates bike it received in donation

It has barely been a week since the Maharashtra Forest Department inaugurated a specially designed motorcycle to rescue reptiles and wild animals with much pomp, and the initiative has already invited controversy.

The bike animal activist Fizzah Shah says she donated to the Myvets Charitable Trust

Well-known animal welfare activist, Fizzah Shah, has alleged that the bike in question was donated by her to Myvets Charitable Trust, a Khaghar based non-profit. The Trust donated the vehicle to the Forest Department without her consent or knowledge. On Friday, she served a legal notice to Dr Yuvraj Kagnikar, Dr Madhurita Gupta, and the Myvets Charitable Trust for breach of trust and wrong utilisation of the donated vehicle, which was originally meant to be used by volunteers working in snake bite rescue missions.

Shah told sunday mid-day, "I had donated two bikes to the Trust, and I thought they would be used for snake bite rescue. But the bike has been converted into an idiotic cage and handed to the Maharashtra Forest Department by Madhurita Gupta and Dr Yuvraj of Myvets. I feel cheated. They didn't take my consent." Shah had donated R1.5 lakh for two bikes (SMD is in possession of the donation receipt) in October 2015. Till date, she has donated close to R1 crore towards the cause of animal welfare, she says.

Shah is now concerned about the second bike, and shared her concern with friends on her Facebook page. The Myvets Charitable Trust posted a photo of the bike on their social media. Although her name is mentioned on the picture, she says, they should have come clean about her being the donor.

When sunday mid-day contacted the Myvets Charitable Trust, this is what they had to say. DR Madhurita Gupta, said in an email, "Kindly take appropriate appointment so that we can give you actual report and we will produce all the required information."