INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Malvinder claims the acquisitions of six debt-ridden companies by his brother were misrepresentedFormer billionaire Malvinder Singh has
filed a criminal complaint accusing his younger brother of siphoning funds from their family holding company and fraudulently diverting them
to a renowned spiritual guru, the latest twist in the unraveling of a $2 billion empire.Shivinder Singh allegedly directed the holding
company to acquire debt-ridden firms which collectively lent Rs 1,000 crore ($140 million) to the family and associates of their guru,
Gurinder Singh Dhillon, according to a complaint filed to the Economic Offenses Wing of the Delhi police seen by Bloomberg
In return, the younger Singh was promised he would succeed the guru as head of one of the country's most powerful spiritual sects,
according to the document.The public fight between the former billionaire brothers follows the collapse of one of India's most storied
business families that once controlled the nation's top drugmaker and second-largest hospital chain
The siblings have lost much of their corporate empire to debt, and are still being chased by creditors
Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office have open investigations into wrongdoing at
companies the brothers used to run.The filing of a criminal complaint to police by a private individual may not necessarily result in an
investigation or charges being filed
Malvinder and Shivinder have declined to comment on the allegations in the criminal complaint
The brothers have previously denied any wrongdoing at their companies.Dhillon's lawyer and the secretary of his spiritual sect did not
immediately respond to text messages seeking comment on behalf of the guru and his family members referenced in the allegations
A representative for the Delhi police couldn't immediately comment on the complaint.The criminal complaint alleges that the 43-year-old
Shivinder "initiated" as well as "permitted this siphoning and malfeasance of funds entrusted to him with the ulterior motive of gaining
ultimate control of the seat of the spiritual head of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas", promised to him by Dhillon
The spiritual sect, founded almost 130 years ago, boasts four million followers worldwide.Malvinder, 46, claims the acquisitions of six
debt-ridden companies by his brother were misrepresented as beneficial to the family's holding company when in fact they had no value
Efforts to write off the guru's debts to these companies are further eroding the value of the holding company, RHC Holding Pvt., according
to the complaint.God in Human FormA Bloomberg investigation last year showed a key reason for the build up in debt that cost the Singhs
their empire were loans to the Dhillon family and property firms controlled by them
Dhillon has previously declined to comment on the matter, and a representative for the spiritual group has said that since 2011, the guru
has stepped back from helping the Singhs with guidance over their businesses due to ill health.Dhillon, who succeeded the Singhs' maternal
grandfather as guru of the powerful sect, became something of a father figure to the brothers after their own died in the late 1990s
Some followers of the sect, maintained on a sprawling commune along the river Beas in Punjab, call Dhillon a god in human form
As many as half a million followers at a time sometimes congregate at the commune to hear his teachings on how meditation, vegetarianism and
high moral values can help one escape the cycle of death and rebirth.Death ThreatIn his criminal complaint, Malvinder claims Dhillon had
threatened him to sign a settlement absolving the guru of any wrongdoing and abstaining from any legal or criminal action against the
Malvinder alleges Dhillon, through his lawyer, told the tycoon he "would be eliminated by persons from the Radha Soami Satsang Beas," if he
did not proceed as demanded, according to the complaint
The elder Singh claims he has recordings of these threats and is "fearful for his life."Besides Shivinder and Dhillon, the complaint also
names as references Dhillon's wife, his two sons, and four alleged associates in the allegations.Siphoning MoneyThe Singh brothers are
themselves under investigation for siphoning money from their public companies, including Fortis Healthcare Ltd., which is now controlled by
Much of the Singhs' shareholding has been seized by lenders.In October, the stock market regulator released preliminary results of its
investigation, finding that the brothers had defrauded Fortis of Rs 400 crore and ordered them to return it
The regulator has said the investigation is ongoing and hasn't indicated when final results will be made public.A spokesman for the Singh
brothers has previously declined to comment on the finding and order by the stock market regulator.Three of the shell companies the
regulator identified as recipients of loans from Fortis that were ultimately routed to the Singhs have also been named by Malvinder as
lenders to the Dhillon family and his associates.The complaint comes after the brothers' mother brokered a truce and convinced Shivinder in
September to withdraw a lawsuit against his elder sibling that alleged "oppression and mismanagement."
