Lata Ramgobin, the great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, has been found guilty of fraud and forgery in South Africa. She was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court. The charges stem from a scam involving more than six million rand, approximately Rs 3.22 crore.
The case involves an incident from 2015, when she was accused of deceiving businessman SR Maharaj. Maharaj is the director of New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors. He trusted her and gave her 6.2 million rand, believing she was importing linen from India for South Africa’s private healthcare company, NetCare. She claimed the money was needed to pay import taxes and customs fees.
Lata Ramgobin showed Maharaj what looked like official papers. These included a signed purchase order, an invoice, and a delivery note from NetCare. She also sent a bank confirmation that supposedly proved NetCare had paid her. Because of her family background and her connection to well-known human rights activist Ela Gandhi and the late Mewa Ramgobind, Maharaj believed her. He expected to share in the profits from the deal.
Later, it was discovered that the documents were fake. The supposed shipment never existed. Maharaj then filed a criminal complaint after realizing he had been tricked.
During the trial, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that Lata Ramgobin used fake documents to make her story seem true. Natasha Kara, an NPA spokesperson, confirmed that she deceived Maharaj with fake invoices and emails. The court found Ramgobin guilty and rejected her request to challenge both her conviction and her sentence.
In 2015, she received bail set at 50,000 rand. When she was involved in the fraud case, she was well known as the founder and director of the Participative Development Initiative. This program was part of the NGO called the International Centre for Non-Violence. She described herself as an activist who worked on social, political, and environmental issues.
Lata Ramgobin belongs to a family known for their work in human rights. Her mother, Ela Gandhi, has received many honors from India and South Africa for promoting peace. Other family members, such as Kirti Menon, the late Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie, are also recognized for their efforts in social work and activism. The case has shocked many because of Lata’s strong family background, which is linked to honesty, peace, and non-violence.