It was revealed, as highlighted in the artcle below dated October 31st, 2002, that Member of the Board of Directors, Director Mohan Gurnani was previously charged with Fraud.

Well that makes two of the three Board members, Manoj Benjamin and Mohan Gurnani, previously charged with Fraud and the third Board member, Collins Benjamin, is the father of one of the Board members previously charged with Fraud. What's going on here??


Court grants bail to Gurnani in fraud case
THE TIMES OF INDIA
31 Oct 2002, 0121 hrs IST, TNN

MUMBAI: President of Federation of Association of Maharashtra (FAM) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) activist Mohan Gurnani arrested last week on charges of fraud was on Tuesday granted provisional bail by a Metropolitan Court in Navi Mumbai.
Gurnani and his two associates, Pradip Gala and Dilip Shah were arrested last Wednesday for allegedly embezzelling Rs 2.25 crore of FAM Co-Operative Housing Society which they had floated in 1991.
Gala and Shah were remanded to police custody till November 1. Gurnani was released on medical grounds after he furnished a bond of Rs 25, 000, police sources said.
Gurnani had been hospitalised for chest pain two days after his arrest. The society’s members had complained to the registrar of Cooperative Societies that the society’s accounts were not audited since 1991. The registrar appointed Ramkrishna Kabra, a government auditor, to examine the accounts which revealed that funds to the tune of Rs 2.25 crore had been embezzled. Mr Kabra lodged a police complaint following which Gurnani and his associates were arrested.

For about two years, Royal Indian Raj has claimed on its Royal Garden Villas web site (www.rgvillas.com) that the first phase of 17 acres as "Over 85% Sold Out." Royal Indian Raj also provides these claimed figures and sales contracts for due diligence purposes. However, it was revealed, as highlighted in the article below dated September 3rd, 2008, that Royal Indian Raj filed court documents in New York stating that customers had demanded refunds of deposits of $10 Million. Basically, more or less, almost every customer has demanded a refund of deposit resulting in actual real sales figures of basically 0%, zero percent, nothing.

As court documents would be the most accurate, it conveys that Royal Indian Raj is hiding the truth from investors and customers in order to mislead, attract and retain investors and customers by claiming "Over 85% Sold Out" when in reality there are no real standing sales as almost every customer has requested refund of deposit.


Royal Indian Raj investor gets royal runaround
David Baines, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Dhiraj Tyagi wants a $122, 484 refund from Royal Indian Raj.

Vancouver-based Royal Indian Raj International Corp. has once again failed to deliver on its grandiose promises, fomenting anger and frustration among investors and shareholders.

On Tuesday, Dhiraj Tyagi, a 37-year-old software consultant from the San Francisco area, met with chairman and CEO Manoj Benjamin and demanded he return a $122, 484 US pre-payment for two units that were to be built in the company's proposed Royal Garden Villas & Resort near Bangalore.

Tyagi said 18 months have passed since he paid for the units, but the company has not yet started construction on the project.

The meeting lasted barely a half-hour: "Manoj said the same thing, " Tyagi reported after the meeting. "He said it's the Indian government's fault and he needs more time."

Tyagi said Benjamin promised to refund his money in four months, regardless of the project's status. Asked whether this response satisfied him, Tyagi replied, "No, I don't trust them any more."

Meanwhile, the company's former vice-president of communications, William Zack, has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court claiming he bought $113, 097 worth of Royal Indian Raj shares in September 2005. He said the company agreed to repay the principal amount within 24 months, but failed to do so.

He subsequently set up a website -- www.royalindiansham -- claiming the company is a fraud. The company has responded by filing a libel suit against Zack in U.S. District Court in New York.

In its usual hyperbolic style, the company claims the website has created monumental hardship for the company. Among other things, it alleges that:

- PEOPLE WHO HAVE PRE-PAID FOR UNITS "HAVE DEMANDED REFUNDS OF AS MUCH AS $10 MILLION."

- The company has been forced to halt its Royal Garden Villa's pre-sale efforts "at an estimated loss of $100 million."

- The company has lost bank financing of its development projects, and has been forced to delay its initial public stock offering, which is "projected to be a $15-billion undertaking."

- The company has been forced to cancel two fundraising events, which were "expected to raise, respectively, $40 million and $60 million."

- The company's acquisition of 1, 136-acre parcel of property in India has been halted.

- The Jack Nicklaus Group, hired to design a golf course for the company, "has expressed its hesitance to consummate a co-branding deal expected to generate $1.5 billion in profit."

Zack does not appear to be fazed by the lawsuit. He has refused to take down the website, but has otherwise declined to comment.

As noted in prior columns, Royal Indian Raj was incorporated in Nevada in 1999 by Manoj Benjamin and his father Collins.

Benjamin claims to have achieved early success after the family emigrated from India to Halifax in 1969, but records show he became hopelessly embroiled in debt and declared personal bankruptcy in 1993. He was also criminally charged, but eventually acquitted, of defrauding one of his creditors.

In 1994, he and his father moved to Vancouver and set up a company called Carriage Lane Fine Homes Ltd. Because he was still an undischarged bankrupt, Manoj Benjamin could not serve as a director, but he effectively ran the show.

The business soon became insolvent with dozens of creditors were owed money. About three dozen lawsuits were filed against Collins Benjamin, who was listed as a director, but most creditors were left empty-handed.

Manoj Benjamin was not discharged from bankruptcy until 1999. As part of his discharge, he was required to take a business ethics course and refrain from soliciting business investors except through a licensed securities dealer for one year.

That same year, he and Collins set up Royal Indian Raj and eventually began soliciting money from investors to build a $3-billion "smart city" near Bangalore. As envisioned, the project was to include 35, 000 residential units, and have a combined retail value of more than $9 billion when completed in 2015. Three other mega-projects were planned for Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata.

Construction was to begin in 2005, but so far nothing has been built. Investors, who include a dugout-full of Major League Baseball players (most associated with the Atlanta Braves) have been getting restless. Some investors, such as Zack, have filed lawsuits.

Undaunted, Benjamin and his father (who acts as the company's point man in India) have been pre-selling the first stage of their mega-city, the Royal Garden Villas & Resort, which is supposed to feature a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

Tyagi said he was introduced to the project by a real estate broker in Santa Clara, Calif. In April 2007, he pre-paid $122, 484 for two apartment units. That was supposed to be a 30-per-cent discount to the regular retail price.

On March 27 this year, he sent the company a letter noting that "13 months have passed and construction has not started." He asked for a full refund.

On April 21, Bob Brown, the company's vice-president of corporate relations, confirmed receipt, and appeared to offer a full refund. "Please be advised that your refund ... for the total amount of $122, 484 is due on August 11, 2008."

But the due date came and went with no result. When Tyagi complained, Brown assured him that the company "has every intention of paying your refund. If it were not for the [Indian] government delays ... we would be in a position to do so immediately, " he said.

"Since we are all in the same boat, it may be advisable not to be hasty and to rethink the situation, as no one will benefit from sinking the ship, and approach the matter in a civilized and informed manner."

Tyagi was not placated. Over the weekend, he drove 18 hours to Vancouver and met with Manoj Benjamin, Brown, and the company's public relations person, Ken Corey.

He said Benjamin promised to return his money in four months. Tyagi said he asked for a written undertaking, which he plans to get notarized. If the money is not returned by the appointed time, he said he will seek more media attention, file a lawsuit with the court, and complain to the B.C. Securities Commission.

[email protected]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=1d8f8cf1-d9cb-40fb-852f-45a5ee50e3d7

It was revealed, as highlighted in the two excerpts below from articles dated May 12th, 2004 and July 31st, 2005, that Royal Indian raj was using for two (2) years the name of former Premier (Governor / Chief Minister) of British Columbia - Canada, Bill Vander Zalm, without the permission of Mr. Bill Vander Zalm, inorder to mislead and attract investors and customers.

Vancouver firm plans Indian Megaproject
Michael McCullough, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, July 31st, 2004

' However, there are inconsistencies with some of the information Royal Indian Raj has put out to prospective investors and business partners.

The firm's wesite and brochure lists former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm as a member of the company's advisory board. In an interview Thursday, Vander Zalm said he was approached about joining the board two years ago to advise on landscaping issues but had not agreed to participate. He said he was unaware of the company's recent activities and was suprised his name was being used in the company literature.

"I haven't heard from anyone ther for a year or better, " Vander Zalm said. '


Brian Hutchinson, Financial Post
Published: Thursday, May 12, 2005

' Unconventional, too, are some of the company's promotional efforts. Last year, the Royal Indian Raj Web site listed former BC premier Bill Vander Zalm as a member of its advisory board. But when contacted by the Vancouver Sun, Mr. Vander Zalm said he had been approached by Royal Indian Raj to consider helping it with "landscaping issues." He declined. "I haven't heard from anyone there for a year or better, " Mr. Vander Zalm told the Sun. His name has since been removed from the Web site. '

I put in an enormous amount of money as a share holder of Royal Indian Raj on the basis of CEO Manoj Benjamin's word that he would get it to the market trading within two years at the most. Well, it has been 8 (eight) years later and the only thing he has truly accomplished is stealing money from more suckers like myself. This man is truly a scam artist personified. He drives fancy cars and lives in a high end home while picking up bills for everyone at the bars. I would highly recommend any one NOT to invest in this crook. It will be a cold day in hell when anyone sees any of their investments or deposits from this company. There's a reason they are not getting their permits! Can anyone say "unprofessional, pompous and rude?"
I will be holding my breath for a long time before I get any of my money back - buyer beware.

Royal Garden Villas is STILL promoting a Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy under the Amenties section of RG Villas. I also received an email from RIRIC two days ago, that linked me to the same lies they've said before! Jack Nicklaus ended his contract with Royal Indian Raj yet one month later, the Royal Indian thieves continue to manipulate, defraud, and swindle innocent people so they can enjoy living the high life. How I wish the RCMP would jump on this sooner than later. Investors will never see their money again, and the Raj's, let's not let them run from their responsibilities!