Durban: A court in the South African city of Durban has sentenced Ashish Lata Ramgobin, the great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, to seven years in prison for fraud and forgery of 60 lakh rand. He was sentenced by the court on Monday.
He was accused of cheating industrialist SR Maharaj. The Maharaj had allegedly given him 62 lakh rands for importing a consignment from India and clearing customs duty which did not exist. In this they were promised a share of the profit.
Ashish Lata Ramgobin, 56, is the child of well-known human rights activist Ila Gandhi and the late Mewa Ramgobind.
When the trial against Lata Ramgobin began in 2015, Brigadier Hungwani Moolaudji of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had said that she had allegedly given fake invoices and documents to convince potential investors that three lines of linen from India Containers are coming. At that time Lata Ramgobin was released on a surety of 50,000 Rand.
During the hearing, the court was informed that Lata Ramgobin had met Maharaj, the director of New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors, in August 2015.
The company imports, manufactures and sells clothing, linens and footwear. Maharaj's company also provides financial assistance to other companies on the basis of dividend.
Ashish Lata Ramgobin told Maharaj that he had ordered three containers of linen for 'South African Hospital Group Net Care'.
Due to Ramgobin's family and net care documents, Maharaj made a written agreement with him for the loan. But later when he came to know about the fraud, he filed a criminal case against Lata.
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