Royal Indian Raj RIRIC Manoj Benjamin Ravi Benjamin Collins Benjamin Sherri Vaters - Do Your Due Diligence

International Press Coverage and Documentation

Royal Indian Raj Scrounging for Money By David Baines, Vancouver Sun June 20, 2009

Excerpt:

Despite many optimistic announcements, nothing ever seems to get built. Investors and purchasers have become very angry. Some have filed lawsuits. One has set up a website called www.royalindiansham.com. The three celebrities have renounced any involvement with the company. And the B.C. Financial Institutions Commission has issued a cease-trade order against the company ...

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http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Royal+Indian+scrounging+money/1715565/story.html

Financial Institutions Commission orders Cease Marketing Order Against RIRIC Royal Garden Villas Resort Corp. Royal Garden City Enterprises Private Ltd. Manoj Benjamin Collins Benjamin Ravi Benjamin :

Excerpt:

I CONSIDER it to be in the public interest to make the following order ... that Royal Indian Raj International Holdings Corporation , Royal Indian Raj International Real Estate Fund Ltd. , Royal Garden Villas Resort Corp. , Royal Garden City Enterprises Private Ltd. , Royal Indian Raj International Corporation , Manoj C. Benjamin , Ravi Benjamin ... and Collins Benjamin , shall cease and refrain from marketing ...

Read Full Order:

http://www.fic.gov.bc.ca/pdf/enforcement/restate/redma20090313.pdf

Invest Right Investor Alert: Beware of investment ploys touting foreign direct investments in India:

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http://www.investright.org/alerts.aspx?id=169

British Columbia Securities Commission Investigation into Royal Indian Raj:

View Document

http://royalindiansham.com/BCSC-Summons.php

Canadian Business Magazine – All About The Benjamins by David Baines:

Excerpt:

There is, however, nothing “proven” or “disciplined” about the Benjamins’ business methods, and there is little or no evidence of any “value creation.” In fact, when they departed their adopted province of Nova Scotia in 1993, they left behind a slew of failed businesses and bad debts. That same year, Manoj Benjamin declared bankruptcy and Halifax police later charged him with two counts of fraud. His father, Collins Benjamin, went on social assistance and, to make ends meet, ran a concession stand at the annual Busker Festival in Halifax.

Buffeted by bad debts and negative publicity, the family slipped out of town and headed for Vancouver. With Collins Benjamin as the front man — Manoj was still an undischarged bankrupt — they formed Carriage Lane Fine Homes Ltd. and built five duplexes. Within months, however, Carriage Lane became insolvent, leaving behind another trail of liabilities and lawsuits.

Even as Carriage Lane was sinking in debt, the Benjamins were concocting their grandest-ever scheme. In 1999 — after Manoj had been acquitted of the fraud charges but hadn’t yet been discharged from his bankruptcy — the duo incorporated Royal India Raj in Nevada and, promising to become “the biggest real estate developer in the world,” started raising money from investors.

Since then, more than eight years have passed and nothing has been built. Investors have become impatient. ... Vijay Amritraj, tired of being accosted by angry investors, long ago disassociated himself from the company.

Read Full Canadian Business Magazine Article by David Baines:

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20080929_198710_198710

Royal Indian Raj investor gets royal runaround by David Baines:

Excerpt:

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.

Construction was to begin in 2005, but so far nothing has been built ...

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.

Read Full Newspaper Article:

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

Company Promises Much, Delivers Little by David Baines

Excerpt:

All told, Royal Indian Raj's office is the picture of affluence. But so far, that's all it is -- a picture.
There are no offices in New York and London ...

Although more than three years have passed since the scheduled ground-breaking, nothing has been built. ...

Also, Vijay Amritraj is not quite as welcoming as the poster would suggest. More than a year ago, after making several appearances on behalf of Royal Indian Raj, he disassociated himself from the company. "I want to go on record as saying I have no connection with this group," he told the Times of India in July 2007. "Since January [2007], I have communicated my decision several times, but they [Royal Indian Raj officials] still continue to feature me on their website. I find it tough to face questions on the progress of the project from committed customers whom I meet at airports and restaurants. This has put me in a bad light."

More than a year later, the company is still using Amritraj's visage to promote its Royal Garden project. Benjamin's son, Ravi -- an employee of the company -- tries to argue that this is not a promotional poster. It's laughable, like arguing that the dead parrot in the Monty Python skit is not really dead.

Read Full Newspaper Article by David Baines:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=11ace6a7-1425-4594-8759-01d074d01b2e

Jack Nicklaus Withdraws Services:

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla.-- Nicklaus Design announced today that it has withdrawn its participation in a golf course project near Bangalore, India, being developed by Royal Indian Raj International Corporation (RIRIC), after RIRIC failed to resolve issues that had arisen in connection with the agreement between the parties to design a proposed Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

Read Full News Item:

http://www.nicklaus.com/nicklaus_news/news112608.php

Royal Indian Raj's Stars Burn Bright, Fade Quickly by David Baines

Excerpt:

For several years, Vancouver-based Royal Indian Raj International Corp. has used celebrities to publicize its business and solicit investors.

In 2006, Indian tennis star Vijay Amritraj, who competed at Wimbledon for 17 straight years, signed on as Royal Indian Raj's "brand ambassador." His job was to promote the Royal Garden Resort & Villas, the first phase of a $3-billion "smart city" the company planned to build near Bangalore.

But this project, like every other project the company has touted since it was formed in 1999, seemed to constantly recede into the horizon.

In July 2007, after making several appearances on behalf of Royal Indian Raj, Amritraj disassociated himself from the company.

"I want to go on record as saying I have no connection with this group," he told the Times of India.

Read Full Newspaper Article:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=085dd1d0-7ffc-44c0-9eba-14496984d262&k=76870

Few of the Pieces Fit in This Jigsaw Puzzle by David Baines

Such is the case with Royal Indian Raj International Corp., a Vancouver-based company that has raised an estimated $8 million to $10 million from private investors, ostensibly to provide seed capital for a $3-billion, fully integrated city near Bangalore, India.
The company is run by chairman and CEO Manoj Benjamin and his father, Collins Benjamin, who serves as president. For the past nine years, they have been touting their so-called "smart city," but have yet to build anything.

I was only able to confirm one business degree, a bachelor of commerce degree from St. Mary's University. As for his "extensive, successful experience," I have discovered that he stumbled from one failed business deal to another. By the summer of 1993, he had amassed so many debts that he declared personal bankruptcy in Nova Scotia.

But that's not all. The superintendent of bankruptcy's office was so disturbed with his business dealings that they referred the matter to RCMP for investigation. Halifax police also started their own investigation, and the Crown eventually charged him with two counts of defrauding investors.

After a trial in February 1996, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Judge M. Stewart said Benjamin's actions made the judge "suspicious" that Benjamin intended to commit fraud ...
Read Full Newspaper Article:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=636d74b6-8f89-49cc-a816-f7edef61d3ec

Royal Indian Sham Site:

http://www.royalindiansham.com/

David Baines has been uncovering white collar crime, stock fraud in particular, for the past 23 years. He has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and has won four National Newspaper Awards, a National Magazine Award and five Jack Webster Awards. His column appears regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and on other days as events occur.