The story of Muskaan, a 22-year-old who supposedly needed 23 lakhs to pursue a master’s in Psychology at Harvard University, was published on the well-known Indian photoblog ‘Humans of Bombay’ on July 14. Netizens soon pointed out glaring inconsistencies in the fundraising effort, noting that Muskaan has been running a comparable Milaap fundraising campaign.

Netizens questioned Muskaan’s entire statement, noting that the deadline for Harvard admissions had already passed and that Muskaan is a model by profession, making the whole thing suspicious.

Popular Twitter user @befittingfacts pointed out the inconsistencies and stated, “Muskaan Bawa is collecting 25 Lakh in Milaap and 23.62 Lakh in Ketto for her ‘Education’. She is from Dharmshala in Milaap and Chandigarh in Ketto.

After this fundraiser sparked uproar on the internet, Humans of Bombay clarified that the fundraiser’s sole purpose was to fund her education.

Before promoting the fundraiser, Humans of Bombay allegedly verified every detail of the case and carefully examined her paperwork. The letter of acceptance to Harvard, the breakdown of the fees, the receipt for the Harvard loan, the visa document, the aeroplane tickets, and the lease agreement had all been uploaded as soft copies.

The Indian photoblog has now, however, offered to refund every donor’s contribution to this Muskaan campaign, if they so choose.
Humans of Bombay stated in its clarification, “We hear you and are cognizant of all the opinions that have been shared over the past few days on Muskan’s fundraiser. As an organization committed to showcasing the best of humanity- we assure you that our only intent was to support a girl’s education.”

It further added, “We understand that Muskan’s cause hasn’t resonated with a lot of you, and so, we, as an organization have decided that it’s in everyone’s best interest to offer this option to all those who donated towards Muskan’s education:”

The statement further mentioned, “If any of the 1000+ donors would like a refund, please send an email to stories@humansofbombay.in with the subject line- “Refund: Muskaan’s Fundraiser” and we will get in touch with you to help facilitate the same via Ketto.”

 

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