London—Ranbir Singh, aged 33, has been jailed for 10 months after allowing his bank account to be used in two fraudulent scams. The acclaimed internationally recognised musician known for doing Kirtan and traditional Indian music failed to report that money had fraudulently been placed into his NatWest bank account.
Instead Singh withdrew £24,596 of the cash the day after it was deposited from an unknown source. The unknown source is thought to have raided somebody else’s bank account prior transferring the stolen money into Singh’s account. Singh later made purchases of two gold bars for around £2,400 each from separate jewellery shops on Belgrave Road in Leicester and purchased an Audi A5 from a dealership in December 2009, where he took out a finance agreement to pay in installments.
After having sold the car on to a Greek Cypriot and obtaining a new log book from the DVLA, Singh then reported the Audi A5 had been stolen in London between the 30th March – 2nd April and made a bogus insurance claim in relation to the car. The car had earlier been stopped by the German border police on the 24th February 2010, and the Greek Cypriot in the vehicle had a handwritten note from Singh granting permission to drive the vehicle and the driver produced the original log book.
Judge Simon Hammond, sentencing at Leicester Crown Court said, “I’ve read a raft of references that clearly describe him as being a musician of very considerable distinction. What a waste of talent. How he got into this position heaven only knows. He must have known he was going into these scams, with his eyes wide open, for gain.”
Singh admitted to dishonestly obtaining a wrongful credit of £29,965 in his NatWest account and that he failed to take steps to ensure the credit was cancelled. He also pleaded guilty to converting criminal property by spending almost £5,000 on two gold bars the next day and admitted fraud by making a false representation to Alliance Insurance that a car belonging to him had been stolen.
Singh told officers he had met a man called Imran by chance and it was he who had arranged both scams, for which he was given payment. Varsanti Vaitha in mitigation said Singh had no previous convictions and was at a downturn in his life when he fell into temptation after his first wife left him and that he accepts he’s severely damaged his own reputation in his profession by his own foolish behaviour.”
Judge Hammond concluded by informing Singh that “he should keep working as a distinguished musician as he clearly is a man with talent’ and sentenced Singh to 10 months in prison.
