NRI brother-sister duo jailed for charity fraud in UK

Los Angeles/ Jan 11, 2025
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

NRI Rajbinder Kaur, 55, of Hampstead Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by Birmingham Crown Court for a number of offences, including six counts of theft, one count of money laundering and providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission.

Her brother, Kaldip Singh Lehal, 44-year-old , who resides at the same address, was also convicted of providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission. He received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
The convictions come after Kaur and Lehal fraudulently operated Sikh Youth UK (SYUK) under the guise of a legitimate charity. The Charity Commission, which had previously rejected SYUK’s application due to a lack of required information, welcomed the sentencing. "The theft of charity funds for personal gain will not be tolerated by the courts," a spokesperson said.

Fraudulent Fundraising and Misuse of Donations

West Midlands Police revealed that Kaur founded SYUK in 2016 and began organizing fundraising events despite the charity not being officially registered. Kaur transferred large sums of donated money from SYUK’s account into her personal bank accounts, using it to pay off debts and send money to family members.

Kaur had more than 50 bank accounts to obscure the movement of stolen funds, police said. Superintendent Annie Miller stated, “SYUK was nothing more than a means for Kaur to fund her lifestyle and clear her debts. In essence, she stole significant amounts of money intended for good causes.”

Restoring Public Trust in Charity

Tim Hopkins of the Charity Commission emphasized the importance of public trust in charitable organizations. “These convictions demonstrate the seriousness of providing false or misleading information to the Charity Commission. Through collaboration with the police, we have been able to uphold justice and reinforce confidence in charitable giving.”
The case serves as a stark warning against the misuse of charitable funds and highlights the combined efforts of law enforcement and regulatory bodies to protect public donations.

News Source :- Click Here