Author, Covid hero, entrepreneur: The world of ‘conman’ Sanjay Sherpuria

Over the past few years, Sherpuria has published half a dozen books — I am Madhobhai: A Pakistani Hindu, Hindu Dharma Ki Dharohar: Bharatiya Sanskriti, Teachers, and Mega Tantrums of Mamata: The Wailing Bengal, among others — the release functions of which were graced by eminent personalities.

All these books were published by the Delhi-based Prabhat Prakashan.

His latest book, Jal Prabandhan, was released at the India International Centre in Delhi on April 17 during a G20 programme on Swachha and Surakshit Jal organised by the Narendra Modi Adhyayan Kendra and Yuva Bharati Trust. He has also written a book titled Divyadarshi Modi.

Prabhat Kumar of Prabhat Prakashan, a publishing house that has brought out several books written by RSS leaders, said they weren’t aware of Sherpuria’s allegedly dubious background. “He came to us through someone. At that time, he was known to be working for the welfare of Hindu refugees from Pakistan. It is a subject close to our heart. We liked the content he was giving us and so we published his books. Two of these books were released by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat ji. We don’t demand anyone’s balance sheet before publishing their books,” Kumar told The Indian Express.

Outside Sherpuria’s office at Golf Course Road, New Delhi. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)

According to sources, Sherpuria’s grandfather was a freedom fighter while his father Baleshwar Rai migrated to Assam for work. It was there that Sherpuria was born. However, during the 1980s, with ULFA militants targeting ‘outsiders’ in the state, Baleshwar Rai returned to his hometown Ghazipur. A young Sherpuria later migrated to Gujarat, where he worked as a security guard and a driver, sources said.

“He got married into an influential family and floated his own company, which was later prosecuted for loan default. He is a sharp man who quickly built connections. He has been socially and politically active since the early 2000s,” a Gujarat police officer said.

In Gujarat, where he spent several years, he held the post of president, Taekwondo Association of Gujarat, a sports body under the Indian Olympic Association.

During his time in Ahmedabad, Sherpuria was known to be a prolific investor, setting up a string of companies, including Bhagwati Remedies Private Limited, which, according to the Registrar of Companies (ROC), was incorporated on March 7, 2005, in Ahmedabad. On May 12, 2009, the company, a “manufacturer, supplier and exporter of hydrocarbon fluids”, was renamed Kandla Energy and Chemicals Private Limited. His wife Kanchan Rai is one of the directors of this company.

According to ROC records, the ‘chargeholders’ of this company include State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Hyderabad and IDBI Bank. As on March 31, 2013 — the latest balance sheet available on the ROC is for 2012-13 — the company’s total “current liabilities” were over Rs 350.51 crore. He allegedly defaulted on this amount.

On October 25, 2022, on an application filed by the SBI, the Ahmedabad branch of the National Company Law Tribunal ordered that an insolvency resolution process “be imitated against corporate debtor” (Sherpuria’s company).

Sherpuria had by then floated a string of other firms in Ahmedabad — Kutch Enterprise Private Limited that was incorporated on May 5, 2009; Rai Corporation Private Limited on April 25, 2012; Kashi Farm Fresh Private Limited on September 28, 2010; and Kandla Enterprises Private Limited on on November 22, 2010 — most of which had his wife Kanchan as director and are now on the ROC’s “Strike Off” list.

Kanchan refused to comment on the allegations against Sherpuria.

Her bio on her Linkedin profile reads: “Alumni of Harvard Business School, mental health awareness, leadership, executive coaching, authentic leadership”.

Sources said that it was around 2014 that Sherpuria shifted to Delhi, while also making a name for himself as a “social entrepreneur” in his home-town of Ghazipur.

In Ghazipur, he shot to fame during the pandemic when he opened ‘Lakdi Bank’, which provided wood to families of Covid victims to facilitate cremations. He is said to have also distributed oxygen cylinders, masks and medicines during the pandemic, all of which led to him being featured in Forbes India.

In 2019, he opened an NGO called Youth Rural Entrepreneur Foundation (YREF), which organised “youth-oriented and employment generation” programmes based on the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ theme in Ghazipur.

The Indian Express had on April 29 reported that the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying had approved a Rs 2-crore subsidy through the National Dairy Development Board. Besides that, the Dalmia Family Trust Office had reportedly paid YREF Rs 6 crore in January this year as donation.

The Indian Express had also reported how Sherpuria had lent Rs 25 lakh to Manoj Sinha before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sinha, who lost that election, was made Governor of J&K in 2020 and later Lieutenant Governor when it became a Union Territory.

Sherpuria’s social activities as well as that of his YREF regularly featured in local newspapers and TV, with DD News having carried multiple bulletins on him.

In 2021, he released a slickly shot Bhojpuri music video on employment, titled ‘Mera Rozgar’, featuring himself and Pawan Singh of Lollypop Lagelu fame. He has also opened a ‘Centre for Excellence’ in Ghazipur that worked on modern farming and best practices in animal husbandry.

The same year, in Delhi, Sherpuria opened a shelter at Majlis Park for Hindu refugees from Pakistan. He has also claimed to have worked on generating self-employment opportunities in the city.

Sources said that in Delhi, he allegedly hobnobbed with politicians and government officials, many of whom allegedly visited his Gurgaon flat or his Delhi address, “Delhi Riding Club at No. 1 Safdarjung Road, New Delhi”. His website, however, lists his address as “1, Beside Race Course, Safdarjung Rd”.

A government official, who is well connected in BJP and RSS circles, told The Indian Express, “His access to top leaders and top officials in government was impressive. He enjoyed direct access to several leaders at the top and exploited this relationship.”