Sikh NRI In Switzerland Fights For Justice After Wrongful Prosecution
Saturday, February 26, 2011
http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=4712
He created a business empire on foreign shores and, in fact, contributed in building the first gurdwara in Europe made according to Sikh architecture, but is now fighting to get justice.
Ever since a Swiss TV channel aired the success story of NRI Sikh Ranjit Singh Masuta in 2006, he became a target of jealousy and conspiracies and as a result was arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. The charges had to be dropped for want of any evidence against him, thus restoring his reputation, but at the cost of his empire, which he had built from scratch.
Hailing from Bhungrani village near Hoshiarpur, Masuta started from a small calls shop in Basel, Switzerland, and managed to set up a telecommunication company in 1995. Talking from Switzerland over phone, he said he had to undergo eight-and-half-months of imprisonment after police framed him in fake cases. During that period, Masuta said, his companies were made to go bankrupt, his reputation suffered massive damage and his name was dragged in media as a fraudster and criminal.
“Till date police have not been able to gather any evidence against me and have instead dropped the charges, but my heart aches due to mental trauma my family had to face,” he said.
On January 5, 2011, the same TV channel aired another story as to how he was fighting for justice for something which he had never done, he said.
Masuta, whose family is the largest donor for Gurdwara Sahib, Langenthal, said he had donated land for the building of the first gurdwara in Switzerland made according to Sikh architecture in Europe. “Our all social and religious projects have been stalled ever since police froze Masuta’s accounts,” said Sikh Foundation President Karan Singh.
