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www.abplgroup.com
Dee Katwa
Asian Voice - Saturday 17th April 2010
Midland Voice Contact: Dhiren on 07970 911 386 or dhiren.katwa@abplgroup.com
Fake faith guru locked up behind bars A bogus faith healer who conned desperate Midlanders out of thousands of pounds by claiming his psychic powers could help them have babies and fix relationships has been jailed for 18 months. Red-faced father-of-four Niem Mohammed, pictured, claimed his skills as a faith healer and spiritualist had been passed down through generations. Mohammed, 41, who has a luxury home in Cheshire and drives a Bentley and a Ferrari, charged a Smethwick couple £9,650 to break a black magic spell he said was placed on the woman by her jealous sister. And he told her he would use his prayer to help her conceive a child with her partner. One woman told the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court how she feared for her safety after Mohammed told her that a powerful Sikh ghost, or ‘jinn’, would break down her home and ruin her life if she did not pay him £1,800. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “He said that my problems were so bad I
would need to spend more money. I said I wasn’t going to pay the money and he began shouting and swearing at me. I was so scared.” The court also heard that Mohammed had laid out guarantees to his customers that he could reunite separated couples within a week. And told them he could bring joy back into the lives of young women who wanted to marry boyfriends of their choice instead of going into arranged marriages. Mohammed used the alias Peer Sayed Sahib in newspapers and magazines. His adverts stated: “With the grace of god one night of prayer will eliminate your suffering” adding “all your anxiety and suffering will disappear forever.” Mohammed also claimed he was born at a place of pilgrimage in India when in fact he was born
in Liverpool. Barry Berlin, prosecuting, told the court: “This case is about a swindler who used the cloak of faith healing, spiritualism and astrology to satisfy his greed.” In his defence Mohammed demonstrated to the jury his meditation and prayer techniques and showed them his scrolls and talismans. Ahead of being sentenced, Mohammed denied he was a conman. “Having one or two complaints does not mean my work of 15 years is no good,” he said. One campaigning organisation which played a part in bringing Mohammed’s scam to the attention of the authorities was Birmingham-based
Asian Rationalist Society which has warned there are many more fake faith healers in the city. Sach Dev Virdee, the society’s general secretary, said: “There are dozens more faith healers working in the area. Wherever you have an Asian community you have these kind of people who prey on vulnerable and superstitious people.” He added: “We will continue working to expose these individuals. Welcoming the outcome of Mohammed’s trial, Mr Virdee said: “I personally feel this is a victory for the common man. For Asian people in particular it is a psychological victory more than a financial one. This will help encourage people to come forward to make complaints against other faith healers.” Mohammed, of Altrincham Road, Wilmslow in Cheshire was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday a fortnight ago after being found guilty of 11 charges of fraud.
Ignore flyers, Muslims told Man held over wife’s murder Leading Muslims have urged Birmingham worshippers to ignore flyers by Hizb-Ut-Tahrir, a radical group, to boycott the election. The flyers were reportedly handed out in front of Birmingham’s Central Mosque after Friday prayers last week. Tahir Alam, advisor for the Muslim Council of Britain, said voting in the elections was not “haram” or forbidden for Muslims, as claimed by the radical group.
Silence helps raise cash Hats off to Payal Mehta, a Year 10 Wolverhampton Girls High pupil, who has raised £500 for victims of the Haiti earthquake by not saying a word at home or school for three days. Her proud mother Shila Mehta, 46, of Wellington Road, Bilston, said: “I was astonished. She is normally such a chatterbox.” Payal said: “It was hard but I was determined to succeed.”
Beware: Fake gold on sale Asian customers are being urged to be extra vigilant when buying gold jewellery after thousands of pounds worth of fake items were seized from shops in Birmingham. Officers at Trading Standards swooped on dozens of inner-city stores in predominantly Asian areas of the city including Alum Rock Road, Saltley and Stratford Road in Sparkhill and Sparkbrook. They acted after routine inspections unearthed jewellery being sold without hallmarks and real gold being sold at prices way above its true value. Head of Trading Standards Chris Neville, pictured, said: “Gold is traditionally an important currency in the British Asian community. It is often brought as an investment in times of economic uncertainty, when gold tends to hold its value.” Anyone concerned about fake jewellery should call Trading Standards on 0121 303 6031.
House chores
One in five Midlanders believe chores from vacuuming to dusting are a woman’s job, a new survey shows.
Harminder Randhawa, 79, of Thimblemill Road, Smethwick, appeared at Warley magistrates’ court last Saturday charged with the murder of his wife Naranjan Randhawa. He was remanded in custody. Mrs Randhawa, aged in her early 70s, was pronounced dead after being found with serious head injuries at their home on April 8.
College improving City College Birmingham which almost went bust is ‘improving’ and has made ‘reasonable progress’, according to inspectors from Ofsted, the schools watchdog. Credit, in particular, must be given to college principal Stuart Cutforth, pictured, who has gone the extra mile to make this huge difference. Not only has his leadership helped raise the rating, but it has helped to instil confidence, hope and optimism in staff and students. The 25,000 student institution was threatened with closure last year and was forced to axe 80 staff to solve a cash crisis.
Wing Wah bosses guilty after poisoning A landmark Chinese restaurant, Wing Wah, has paid out almost £65,000 in compensation claims after 50 diners fell ill with food poisoning. Restaurant director Kwai Lun Chiu, pictured, will pay £45,000 in compensation to seven customers that have made claims against him, whilst the remaining amount includes a fine and court costs. Mr Lun Chui was also given a 12month community order and told he would have to carry out 100 hours of community service. Diners at the Wing Wah restaurant in Oldbury, which included an 80-yearold man and a 222-month-old baby, became ill with salmonella after eating raw eggs which had been used in a tiramisu desert.
News in Brief Car ban to ease congestion Cars may be banned from Birmingham’s “Golden Mile” Broad Street after 8pm on Friday and Saturday nights in a bid to tackle congestion which is bringing traffic to a standstill. The call has been made by a new group involving bus watchdogs and National Express WM.
Illegal cabbies Illegal taxi drivers who have been operating in Stafford have been warned that they face prosecution after the borough council revealed that it had taken legal action against cabbie Ibrar Latif. Latif, of Longton, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £505 costs after admitting plying for hire illegally.
Mum, 38, in benefits fraud A mother-of-three from West Bromwich, Surria Hussain, who dishonestly claimed more than £21,000 in benefits has avoided a jail sentence. Hussain, 38, told council officials that there was no relation between her children and her landlord, but he was their uncle, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Hussain, who had claimed the money over a four year period beginning in February 2003, was given an 18-month community and supervision order.
Desi food shop infested by mice Desi Sweet Centre in Walsall Road, Walsall, has been temporarily closed after an inspection by environmental health officers uncovered a trail of mice droppings. Droppings were found on the floor, shelves and on tins of tomatoes. A court notice was served on business operator Jasvir Kaur who did not appear in court. (Progressing)
New qualification A new degree for budding firefighters has been launched this week by the University of Wolverhampton. The Bachelors of Science degree in fire and rescue aims to prepare students for a career in the fire service through study and work placements.
Bronze Award South Birmingham Community Health has become one of the first organisations in the health sector to win an Investors in People bronze award.
Police spend £2.4m on PR Police forces in the West Midlands spent £2.4 million on media relations last year, new figures show. Media and press office budgets for the four forces – West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, West Mercia – have risen by as much as 72 per cent in the last five years.
Serving with a smile Parking attendant Mohammed Farooq from Walsall has officially been crowned Parking Person of the Year. The father-of-four clinched the top national honour at the British Parking Awards, which recognises excellence in the UK parking sector. Judges praised Mr Farooq, pictured, who works for Q-Park at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital car parks in Edgbaston, for making the arrival and stays of patients, their families and loved ones as stress-free as possible.