Hikmat Singh Verma

Infobox Politician (general)
name= Hikmat Singh Verma


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title= Member of House of Representatives (Fiji)
Laucala Indian Communal Constituency
term_start= 1999
term_end= 2000
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successor= Kamlesh Kumar Arya
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party= Fiji Labour Party
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profession= Teacher
religion= Hindu
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Hikmat Singh Verma is a Fiji Indian politician who won the Laucala Indian Communal Constituency, one of the 19 seats reserved for Fiji citizens of Indian origin, for the Fiji Labour Party during the 1999 elections for the House of Representatives.

On 19 May 2000, he was among the 43 members of the People's Coalition Government, led by Mahendra Chaudhry, taken hostage by George Speight and his band of rebel Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit. He was released on 13 July 2000 after 56 days of captivity.

Leaving Fiji with cash carefully hidden away during his brief, but profitable political career he fled to the United States and settled in California. Finding it difficult to convince his U.S. relatives that he was an honest man and therefore worth a financial risk, Verma settled in West Sacramento, Ca and began a number of sham business operations. At one point, he represented himself as a real estate broker, an insurance agent, a notary public, an herbalist, a caterer and a furniture rental operator.

Old habits die hard, however, and Hikmat Verma's bullying tactics, blatant dishonesty, and unwillingness to repay family loans soon caused nearly all of his relatives to shun his presence. What had begun as a grand design to parlay the kickbacks earned as a crony of Mahendra Chaudhry into real estate holdings ended in bankruptcy and disgrace, following the disclosure that he was not licensed to broker either real estate or insurance.

With none of his sham businesses generating any real cash, and with nothing but greedy hangers-on remaining to soak up what little was left, Verma now hides himself from view, while considering how best to cut his losses and run away, hoping to live to cheat another day.

[ [http://www.fijihosting.com/pcgov/docs_c/activities_report_2000.htm Fiji Labour Party - Activities Report: 1999-2000] ]

References