Ashish Lata Ramgobin, the 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, has been sentenced to seven years in jail for fraud and forgery. A court in Durban, South Africa, found her guilty of cheating a businessman, SR Maharaj, out of 6.2 million rand (about ₹3.22 crore). Lata Ramgobin told Maharaj that she had imported three containers of linen from India for a hospital group in South Africa. She claimed she needed money to pay Customs and import duties and promised him a share of the profits. Trusting her, Maharaj gave her the money.

However, the shipment never existed. During the trial, it was revealed that Ramgobin had faked documents and invoices to make her story look real. She was accused of using forged papers to convince investors. She met Maharaj in 2015. He runs a company that sells clothes, linen, and shoes, and also gives money to other businesses in return for a share of profits.

Lata Ramgobin is the daughter of well-known human rights activist Ela Gandhi and the late Mewa Ramgobin. When she was first charged, she was released on bail of 50,000 rand. The court has also denied her permission to appeal against her conviction or the jail sentence.Natasha Kara, spokesperson for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), revealed that Ashish Lata Ramgobin claimed she needed R6.2 million (₹3.22 crore) to clear Customs charges for imported goods. She said she was facing financial trouble and needed the money urgently to release containers at the harbour.

To convince businessman SR Maharaj, she showed him documents including a fake purchase order, a fake invoice from the hospital group NetCare, a delivery note, and even a fake bank confirmation showing that payment from NetCare was on the way. Trusting her due to her family background and the documents, Maharaj gave her the money. Later, when he found out the documents were forged and the shipment was fake, Maharaj filed a police complaint. Ramgobin was the founder and executive director of the Participative Development Initiative at the International Centre for Non-Violence. She called herself an activist focused on social, environmental, and political causes.

Her family includes several well-known human rights activists. Her mother, Ela Gandhi, has received national honours from both India and South Africa. Other relatives like Kirti Menon, the late Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie are also known for their activism. Despite her background, Ramgobin has been sentenced to seven years in jail, and the court has denied her permission to appeal the verdict.