Ashok Bahirwani's October 2, 2011, AISPA update for the All India Speak Asia Panelists' Association contained several false claims, including misquoting the Mumbai Mirror on an alleged arrest. Bahirwani's report, while offering some information, was marked by distortions and outright fabrications.
Bahirwani falsely accused the Mumbai Mirror of reporting "another Speak Asia Official behind bars." This specific text did not appear on the Mumbai Mirror website or in any of its articles.
He further claimed that Sanjeev Dandona, recently arrested, was "in no way a SAOL consultant or a direct employee of the company SAOL." Bahirwani identified Dandona as "an associate of the Master Distributor/Franchisee of HVP M/s Kritanj Management & AlliedServices." The term "Master Distributor/Franchisee" closely mirrored Speak Asia's own operational language. HVP likely refers to Haren Ventures Ptd Ltd, a company potentially involved in multiple MLM schemes.
Regardless of technical employment status, Dandona's association with Speak Asia appears strong. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) likely had sufficient evidence to establish a direct or de facto financial link between Dandona and Speak Asia to justify his arrest.
Bahirwani's assertion that Dandona "parted ways with Kritanj almost 6 to 7 months back" places his departure around March or April 2011. This timeframe coincides with the arrest of Tarak Bajpai and the onset of Speak Asia's significant regulatory challenges. It suggests senior figures within Speak Asia may have exited the company as legal troubles mounted.
Bahirwani then criticized a reporter for claiming Dandona transferred "crores of rupees to Singapore," stating the reporter was "falsely reporting." He argued that M/s Kritanj Management & Allied Services, as Master Franchisee of HVP, routed money through "proper legal banking channels" to HVP's accounts in Singapore.
However, these specific claims about Dandona's alleged money transfers and Bahirwani's defense did not appear in the Mumbai Mirror report he referenced. The Mumbai Mirror article only identified Dandona as a proxy owner. This aligns with a broader pattern, as Speak Asia itself appears to have had proxy owners in Satish Pal and his brother Ram.
