Benefit Fraudster Jailed

A self-styled "spiritual guru" from Southall was given two years in prison and had £110, 000 of assets confiscated after being found guilty of benefit fraud.

Parmjit Singh, 42, of Wentworth Road, was found guilty of committing housing benefit fraud against Hounslow Council.

In March 2008 he was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Cpirt to two years in prison.

And since then, the council have used powers in the Criminal Justice Act and Proceeds of Crime Act to identify and confiscate assets Singh gained through his crimes.

Singh told his private followers he believed in the healing powers of alternative medicine, but the Southall "priest" used some of the £40,000 he stole from false benefit claims to fund a private healthcare scheme.
Singh, 41, claimed Housing Benefit from November 1995 to November 2004. He falsely claimed he was a tenant on Wentworth Road and supplied documents to the council allegedly signed by a landlord.

The letter said he would be paying rent of £670 a month. Since his family had a low income, housing benefit was paid to help him with their housing costs.

However, later inquiries revealed that his landlord was a member of Singh's own family, which had not been declared on his claim form. This meant this claim was false, and illegal.
While Singh was claiming benefit, he provided letters and other documents allegedly from his landlord backing up his right to continue claiming, but in court during his trial in February 2008, two different
He was prosecuted for falsely claiming £46,002 in housing benefit and found guilty by the jury on all 18 counts at his trial in February 2008.
Hounslow will receive £62,012.56 in compensation and Singh has until 16 September 2009 to pay the £110,000, or face a further two years in prison.