Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 21, 2017 News
Some Indian nationals who posed as astrologers, bilking unsuspecting Guyanese of millions of dollars over the last few months, have disappeared.
This would come even as authorities disclosed that they are checking to determine how the men entered the country, in the first place.
The “Pandits”, from all indications, hurriedly left their city operations in Alberttown and Campbellville and the one in Grove, East Bank Demerara, in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, shortly after Kaieteur News would have posted a story of their presence and work here.
It would appear from accounts of neighbours and others, that there was a gang of the Indian nationals operating here. The gang would meet regularly to compare notes.
How they were able to operate in plain sight, even sponsoring televised IPL cricket matches and collecting millions of dollars from persons without catching the attention of authorities would remain a mystery.
Yesterday, checks at the three locations found no signs of the men.
At Alberttown, a stone’s throw from the Police Station, Kaieteur News was told that the “Pandit” has not been seen since Wednesday. The cell phone of “Pandit Anand Kumar”, 663-4100, was turned off. So too were the other numbers being advertised.
The apartment was fully furnished. It is believed that “Pandit Kumar” hurriedly gathered his documents and disappeared. His rent was paid to the end of the month.
At Craig Street, Campbellville, the men were seen on security cameras leaving in a taxi around 3am Wednesday. They have not been seen since then.
On some good days, there were more than 10 visitors.
At Grove back street, behind “Times Square”, East Bank Demerara, a representative of the person that owns the building where another Pandit had been operating said that he received a call from the Pandit who claimed he was back in India.
Three suitcases
The man was forced to break open the door to gain entry to the building. Inside, it was clear that the occupants had hastily departed. The upstairs apartment was sparsely furnished with a two burner stove in the kitchen. The bed was unmade and there were three suitcases in the corner of a room.
Outside, the fairy lights were still on around the many religious photos that adorned the wall in a corner.
There were sheets covering the walls to keep out the sunlight and on the table, there was an altar, several limes, pieces of sugarcane and coconuts along with other articles.
The presence of the pandits here has left scores of victims embarrassed and out-of-pocket. Many of them deeply believed the promises, that their love problems, headaches with children and neighbours would be things of the past.
On Friday, Minister with responsibilities for Citizenship, Winston Felix, disclosed that he had received reports of a number of men professing to be Pandits, and charging huge sums of money.
He divulged that on Friday, officials had descended on the locations in Alberttown and Campbellville.
“The information we got is that persons professing to be Pandits live at both buildings but they were not in the building at the time.”
The Minister said that officials are on the lookout for the men but there is a “shortage of essential information to trace who they really are. We don’t have their identities.”
Felix, a former Commissioner of Police, urged citizens to be careful about trusting individuals who claim to have certain powers to relieve them of problems.
“I doubt the visa would allow them to perform such act. In the absence of identities, it is difficult to trace them.”
The official explained that in the given situation, the “Pandits” would have been required to apply for employment visas.
“If so, there must be a local sponsor. However, there are no traces. It could be that a foreign High Commission granted the visa and in those cases we don’t get to check on the bona fides. But suffice to say, for someone to make a naked application, claiming to perform such functions, we would have had our suspicions.”
Felix noted that over the past two years, the administration has introduced a number of measures to protect its borders and ports. However, he admitted that the wide, open borders are proving a challenge.
There is no system anywhere in the world that is foolproof, he said.
“There are always persons trying to beat systems and we have to constantly be on the alert especially with our porous borders.”
He explained that on arrival, CARICOM nationals can be granted up to six months to stay with others up to three months.
The Department of Citizenship has to be alerted when the stay is being extended.
Last week, following complaints, Kaieteur News reporters went undercover to the Alberttown location of one of the pandits. He later produced an ID card purportedly issued by the Government of India which said his name is Anand Kumar and that he is 22.
For several months now, television ads have been extolling the possibilities of solving serious issues from health and business problems, family and money matters, husband and wife challenges and even overcoming an “enemy” problem.
$30M
It is estimated that the pandits took over $30M from victims for this year alone. It is still unclear how long they have been here. However, one has even set up operations in Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
People have been visiting them from as far as Crabwood Creek, East Berbice and even from overseas.
In 2010, undercover work by this newspaper exposed one astrologer who was part of a group that took millions of dollars from unsuspecting persons, promising to solve their problems.
One day after being confronted, the man fled his David Street, Kitty apartment. His “pandit” clothes, complete with beads and turban, were later found abandoned in a hotel. They had taken an estimated $20M with them. The victims were too ashamed to talk about it.
The “pandits” are smooth. Their little rooms are often adorned with photos of Hindu gods and even of Jesus Christ. The lighting is usually dimmed to make the victims more comfortable.
Victims include Guyanese from all walks of life.
“Pandit Kumar” was not discerning enough to pick up the two reporters. Rather, he could “see” that the male reporter was a lucky man and that he and his “wife” could not get children as a scorned female had made some bad prayers.
The “Pandit” insisted that he could solve the problem, 100 percent guaranteed.
It would have required five prayers costing $22,000 each or $110,000.
“The person who make bad thing for you…you played with their emotions. When I do some prayers, whatever problem you have…I can solve.”
Confronted later, “Pandit Kumar” was smooth. He was willing to talk. He brought out several “ID” cards purportedly issued by the Government of India.
He had come to Guyana and was granted a visa on arrival. He had come to see his ailing sister.
He said he was at the Alberttown location for more than a month and had two months left on his visa. It is not about money, he insists. He likes to help people.
Asked if he is registered anywhere, including at the Guyana Revenue Authority, the “Pandit” said no.
He was most willing to provide any information, however he could not immediately point Kaieteur News to any website or Facebook account that could help.
The “Pandit” made it clear that he is not connected to the Craig Street “astrologer” but knew from television ads that other persons were operating there, at Parika and at Grove. He said that no one was at the Regent Street location.
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