SHILLONG, June 24: Two youths have been arrested by Laitumkhrah police personnel on Wednesday for allegedly collecting donations fraudulently in the name of ‘Bombay Teen Challenge’, a Mumbai-based non-governmental organisation involved in combating substance abuse and human trafficking.
The arrests followed a complaint by Wilfort Rynghang, a resident of Lower New Colony, who became suspicious when the duo approached his residence carrying a letter purportedly issued by the organisation and sought monetary contributions from him.
According to Rynghang, the youths entered his compound and introduced themselves as representatives of Bombay Teen Challenge, claiming that they were collecting funds for welfare activities. However, after examining the letter they were carrying, he suspected that the document was not genuine.
Speaking about the incident, Rynghang said he immediately decided to verify the authenticity of the claim by searching for the organisation online and contacting its representatives directly.
Members of Bombay Teen Challenge informed him that the organisation did not authorise any individual to collect donations from households and that the youths were not associated with any such fundraising drive.
Realising that it was a case of alleged fraud, Rynghang detained one of the suspects and informed the police.
He also managed to seize the key of the scooter used by the duo to prevent them from escaping. While one of the youths reportedly fled the spot initially, police later succeeded in apprehending him as well.
He alleged that the two youths were part of a larger group comprising four individuals and claimed that they had already collected money from several residents before being caught.
He further expressed concern over the manner in which the youths entered residential compounds and warned that such incidents could pose security risks, particularly for women, elderly persons, and children who may be alone at home. Northeast Teen Challenge project director, Ammon Immanuel, clarified that Bombay Teen Challenge does not conduct door-to-door fundraising campaigns and has not authorised any person to seek donations from the public on its behalf.
“We have come across a few cases where individuals are raising funds in the name of Teen Challenge. This is fraudulent. We do not send people to collect donations from households or individuals,” Immanuel said.
He explained that the organisation is engaged in helping people overcome substance abuse through rehabilitation programmes and counselling services, and does not rely on public collections made by individuals.
According to him, payments are accepted only through official channels and are generally limited to fees paid by those who are admitted to the rehabilitation centres.
He urged the public not to hand over money to anyone claiming to represent the organisation without first verifying their credentials.
“We request people not to give donations to anyone using the name of Bombay Teen Challenge. If there is any doubt, they should contact the organisation directly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Immanuel revealed that one of the arrested youths had previously undergone treatment at a Teen Challenge rehabilitation centre in Mumbai.
However, after completing the programme, he allegedly relapsed into substance abuse and had reportedly been collecting money in the organisation’s name for the past two weeks.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Immanuel said it was the first such case involving the misuse of the organisation’s name that had come to their notice in the region.
Condemning the fraudulent activities, he appealed to society to support efforts aimed at helping recovering addicts return to rehabilitation and rebuild their lives.
