Latest news with #Jayaprakash
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Woman vanishes from £1m family home to attend court case in secret
Woman vanishes from £1m family home to attend court case in secret Hemalatha Jayaprakash, 44, told her husband she was going to view offices Hemalatha Jayaprakash suddenly vanished just before her and her family were due to go on holiday (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) A mum told her husband she was going to view offices for her new job but she was travelling to court after defrauding her former boss if £166k. Hemalatha Jayaprakash and her family had been packing for a holiday to India to visit loved ones when she fled the £1m home in Great Barr, Birmingham. The 44-year-old mum of two appeared in the dock at Birmingham Crown Court for several days, having pleaded guilty to fraud and abuse of position. Meanwhile, her husband and two children knew nothing about her crime, and it appears she was desperately hoping that by entering a guilty plea, she may avoid a custodial sentence without them ever finding out. However, on Wednesday, May 21, she was jailed for two years and three months. Her worried family began searching frantically for her, visiting hospitals in case she had been in a car crash. Talking to Mail Online, Mr Jayaprakash said he even reported his wife as a missing person. He described her actions as "beyond belief." He recalled: "We were doing our packing, I was aware my wife had applied for another job and she said she had got it." When he later discovered a Facebook post where her ex boss detailed the imprisonment and sentence he spoke of his shock. He added: "We have not been struggling financially." Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . Article continues below Mr Jayaprakash told the MailOnline: "We had absolutely no idea. My wife didn't need the money and we are trying to find out what really happened, and maybe she was coerced by someone. We don't have any money issues. " Birmingham Crown Court heard how his wife ran a rental property empire and £1 million house. However, in her role as a city centre-based Northwood estate agents for 12 years she made dozens of illegal transfers from business and client accounts to herself, Birmingham Live reports. Hemalatha Jayaprakash was sentenced to two years and three months in jail (Image: BirminghamLive/BPM ) During the time, she was working as a personal assistant to the director. Jayaprakash claimed in court she used some of the money to pay her child's school fees and to help relatives in India who lost their homes to flooding. The managing director, Nin Rehal, said her actions had been devastating, having learned she even took money while he was out of the office caring for his dying mother. When Mr Rehal sold the business in December 2023, a £26,000 discrepancy was discovered and the accounts were examined. It emerged that payments had been made to non-existent landlords to a bank account, which was revealed as Jayaprakash's account thanks to an expenses claim. Mr Rehal said it had caused him 'immense' distress and 'devastating' financial losses. The director said the loses meant he had to release equity from his family home to make ends meet, alongside supporting his two children at university. He added: "Meanwhile, Mrs Jayaprakash resides in a £1m property, purchased outright in 2018, and benefits from income generated by a portfolio of at least eight rental properties." Overall, Jayaprakash had taken £167,062.68 over the course of 158 transactions from January 2021 and March 2024, reports BirminghamLive. Court recorder Amy Jackson said: "Everything I have read about this lady takes me to the belief she is from an affluent background where she ought not to need to steal to fund a lifestyle and effectively does lead a lavish lifestyle. This was pure greed." During sentencing, the judge said: "This was a long-running and significant fraud and abuse of trust." From their sprawling family property which is named Gleneagles after the luxury Scottish spa retreat, Mr Jayaprakash told Mail Online he had checked with family in India and they had not received any money and said his grown up daughter did attend a fee paying school but he had paid for. Article continues below Samreen Akhtar, defending told the court: "Her family members are regrettably unaware (of her conviction). She has had no support in terms of these proceedings." Jayaprakash will serve up to 40 per cent of the 27-month term in custody. She was heard wailing as she was sent down to her cell. A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing to determine confiscation, costs and compensation will take place on August 26.
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Fraudster mum stole £166k from firm and gorged on Greggs and Deliveroo takeaways
A personal assistant stole more than £166,000 from a former business director while living in a £1million home. Hemalatha Jayaprakash, 44, joined the Birmingham-based Northwood estate agents in 2012 as a personal assistant to director Nin Rehal, 57. Jayaprakash stole more than £6,000 knowing he was out of the office because his mother had passed away 24 hours earlier. The officer manager splurged on lottery tickets, Greggs and Deliveroo takeaways. When he decided to sell in 2023, Jayaprakash's fraud was exposed when the accounts were examined. In court, Jayaprakash said she sent money to pay her child's school fees and help relatives in India who lost their homes in floods. Jayaprakash wailed in anguish when she was jailed for two years and three months at Birmingham Crown Court on May 21 after pleading guilty to fraud and abuse of position. Rehal said he was 'devastated' that he had been betrayed by his trusted personal assistant. He said: 'This fraud was not opportunistic; it was calculated, premeditated and a sustained scheme executed over multiple years. 'I used to confide in Jayaprakash in daily meetings, sometimes in tears, but she would tell me not to worry about the office, all is in control with the team.' Jayaprakash turned up at Rehal's mother's funeral with her husband. Rehal said: 'This is the level of greed, deception and betrayal we are dealing with.' He told the court he had to release equity from his family home to make ends meet, including supporting his two children at university. Rehal added: 'Meanwhile, Mrs Jayaprakash resides in a £1million property, purchased outright in 2018, and benefits from income generated by a portfolio of at least eight rental properties.' Jayaprakash's husband said his family had no idea about her deception and were planning a family trip to India. She told him she was driving off in the family Land Rover to view offices for a new job but was instead appearing in court. The family only found out she had been jailed 12 hours later, following their own search and getting in contact with police. Jayaprakash told MailOnline: 'We weren't aware of any of this, it is such a difficult time for the family. We had absolutely no idea. 'My wife didn't need the money and we are trying to find out what really happened, and maybe she was coerced by someone. More Trending 'We don't have any money issues, we are not struggling financially, so why would she do this? 'We cannot comprehend this, it is beyond belief and we are totally shattered and devastated. It is such a shock.' Recorder Amy Jackson said: 'Everything I have read about this lady takes me to the belief she is from an affluent background where she ought not to need to steal to fund a lifestyle and effectively does lead a lavish lifestyle. This was pure greed.' A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be held on August 26 to determine issues around confiscation, costs and compensation. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Benefits cheat mum said she had severe MS while posting about running 10k races MORE: Man who burned Koran outside embassy says verdict is 'assault on free speech' MORE: Moment Scottish gangster chased through his Spanish pub and shot dead
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How a mother-of-two mysteriously disappeared from her £1m home on the day of a family holiday... the truth was 'devastating'
Mr Jayaprakash visibly shakes as he relives the moment he found out why his wife Hemalatha had suddenly disappeared on the day of a family holiday. The couple had been due to travel to a Manchester Airport hotel for an overnight stay ahead of catching a flight the following morning to visit relatives in their native India. But as they busily packed their suitcases at their £1m detached home in Great Barr, on the outskirts of Birmingham, Hemalatha told him she needed to go out. She drove off in her Land Rover saying she was going to view offices of a new workplace, as she had previously been made redundant from her job but had told her husband she had secure a new one. But the mother-of-two was not driving to meet new work colleagues, she was rushing to attend a crown court trial - her own. Unknown to her loving husband and two adult children, Hemalatha had stolen £166k from her boss in a long-term fraud. But while Mr Jayaprakash prepared for their holiday, his wife had been appearing in the dock at Birmingham Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to fraud and abuse of position. Hemalatha seemed to be hoping she could avoid a custodial sentence without ever having to tell her family. But she was wrong. The fraudster office worker was jailed for two years and three months and was heard 'wailing' as she was led to the cells. Meanwhile her frantic family were out searching for her, fearing she may have been involved in a road accident. Speaking on the doorstep of his home this week, Mr Jayaprakash told MailOnline: 'It is beyond belief and we are absolutely shattered. 'It is devastating to all our family and friends.' Mr Jayaprakash revealed how the family searched local areas and even visited hospitals looking for Hemalatha. They eventually dialled police in desperation, reporting her as a missing person. The family only found out she had been jailed later that night at 10.30pm - more than 12 hours after she had vanished - when her former boss posted news of her conviction and sentence on a community Facebook page. Distraught Mr Jayaprakash said: 'We weren't aware of any of this, it is such a difficult time for the family. We had absolutely no idea. 'My wife didn't need the money and we are trying to find out what really happened, and maybe she was coerced by someone. 'We don't have any money issues, we are not struggling financially, so why would she do this. 'We cannot comprehend this, it is beyond belief and we are totally shattered and devastated. It is such a shock.' It was heard in court that Jayaprakash lived in a £1million home and had a rental property empire. The 44-year-old had worked at city centre-based Northwood estate agents for 12 years but made dozens of illegal transfers from business and client accounts to herself. She claimed she used some of the money to pay her child's school fees and help relatives in India who lost their homes due to flooding. Nin Rehal, who founded the business and was managing director, said he had been left devastated by her betrayal, having learned she also took money while he was out of the office caring for his terminally-ill mother. She had been hired in 2012 as an accounts manager before becoming office manager and then a personal assistant to the director. A £26,000 discrepancy was discovered when Mr Rehal sold the business in December 2023 and the accounts were examined. It transpired payments had been made to non-existent landlords to the same bank account, which was revealed as Jayaprakash's account when she submitted an expenses claim. She was suspended in March last year but claimed she had paid £29,000 into the business herself in 2019. Richard Davenport, prosecuting, told the hearing: 'The defendant said she was paying herself back for the money she provided the business in 2019. 'She also said she had stolen £55,000 and offered to repay the money. 'That amount was a vast understatement of the amount she had actually stolen.' It was established Jayaprakash had actually taken £167,062.68 over 158 transactions between January 2021 and March 2024. She was ultimately dismissed. The court was told Jayaprakash had repaid most of the stolen money, but Mr Rehal said he had not received anything himself because funds had been withheld from the sale of the business. In a victim impact statement he drew attention to a £6,480 sum she stole when he was out of office due to his mother dying less than 24 hours earlier. He stated: 'This is the level of greed and deception and betrayal we are dealing with.' He recalled how Jayaprakash turned up to his mother's funeral with 'flowers in hand.' Mr Rehal said her fraud had caused him 'immense' distress and 'devastating' financial losses. He told told the court that he had to release equity from his family home to make ends meet, including supporting his two children at university. He added: 'Meanwhile Mrs Jayaprakash resides in a £1m property, purchased outright in 2018, and benefits from income generated by a portfolio of at least eight rental properties.' Samreen Akhtar, defending, said: 'This wasn't committed by a lady living a lavish lifestyle. 'The money stolen was used to pay for her child's school fees and sent to relatives in India who had lost their livelihoods (due to flooding). 'Nevertheless she doesn't seek to minimise the offences and she is aware the victim is in the public gallery and wishes me to apologise to them through me today.' She told the court Jayaprakash had a computer science degree and hoped to get a job in the IT industry, having resigned from another estate agent job that morning due to the 'stress of these proceedings'. Ms Akhtar added: 'She resides with her husband and two children, both adults. 'Her family members are regrettably unaware (of her conviction). She has had no support in terms of these proceedings.' But Recorder Amy Jackson expressed 'scepticism' at being told Jayaprakash had managed to swiftly repay £126,000 of the stolen money through sales of land and property in India. She said: 'Everything I have read about this lady takes me to the belief she is from an affluent background where she ought not to need to steal to fund a lifestyle and effectively does lead a lavish lifestyle. 'This was pure greed.' Passing sentence the judge said: 'This was a long-running and significant fraud and abuse of trust.' Jayaprakash remained motionless as she was told she was being jailed immediately and would serve up to 40 per cent of the 27-month term in custody. But she was heard crying in anguish after being led out of the dock and down to the cells. A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing to determine confiscation, costs and compensation was adjourned until August 26. Mr Jayaprakash told MailOnline that his wife was a 'respectable lady' who didn't need any extra money, and the family was now having 'such a difficult time.' He doubted she was leading a double life. On the day of her court hearings he explained: 'We were doing our packing, 'I was aware my wife had applied for another job and she said she had got it. 'If I knew my wife was in any financial difficultly and needed any money I would have helped her. 'We have not been struggling financially.' Mr Jayaprakash told how they had bought their home for £540,000 seven years ago. The large property, adorned with garden sculptures, is named Gleneagles after the renewed luxury Scottish county, golfing and spa retreat. Asked if his wife had spent the stolen money on private school fees, he replied: 'No, my daughter went to a fee paying school and I paid for that.' Quizzed if she had given cash to struggling relatives in India, as she had suggested, he responded: 'We checked with family and they have not received a penny from her.' He admitted the case was 'baffling' as well as distressing. Asked if his wife may have been hiding a secret health battle, which she could have needed funding for, he said: 'No, not that I aware of. She was physically and mentally well and in a good state of health. 'It there was any problem I would have helped her.' He believes she may have been 'coerced' into illegal activity. Mr Jayaprakash told how his wife had been suspended from her star agent Jon in around 2014/2015 with her boss saying she was 'not fit for purpose.' He said: 'It appears she was not doing her job properly but within in a few weeks he took her back, the same post but with a bigger salary. 'She was accounts manager.' On the day she disappeared, he told how he rang the police to report his wife missing. Unbeknown to him she had driven her car into the city centre to attend her court hearing. Her vehicle, more than a week later, is still parked up with her husband not being able to retrieve it becaue her keys have been retained by the prison and have not yet been returned to him for removal. Mr Jayaprakash told how family and friends were helping him support him through this 'horrendous' ordeal. He said his wife was not coping well in prison and during brief phone calls to her she kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry;' but with no explanation and cannot say why. 'She's not in a good place, the court case and sentence has taken its toll on her, and her family. 'It has had such an impact on all our lives. 'Friends and neighbours who are now aware are trying tio be supportive but it is such a difficult time.' The traumatised husband is due to visit his caged wife for the first time this week, saying: 'I've not seem her since she left our house when I thought we were going in holiday, and still all our packed bags are left in the house. 'Her sentence was very harsh, and I think charges against her may have been spiced up. 'If anything she should have been given a suspended sentence and not jailed. 'She's not a killer!' He continued: 'We are trying to piece together what happened, because we are shattered. 'Her former boss was a bit of a character and I have a strong feeling he may be involved if there was any wrong doing and spiced things up 'I have my suspicions.' Shocked neighbours also had 'no idea' of her jailing. A woman living next door, who declined to be named, told MailOnline: 'I am absolutely shocked, God, I had no idea. 'She was a very kind person and she cooked me meals at times, she was so kind, 'I have been around to her house, we were not close friends but good neighbours.' She added: 'On reflection she hadn't been in the best of health, she hadn't been very unwell but she has the cough-cold virus, as we all do.
Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Push 360's "Where Legends Meet Across Time" Campaign Earns Global Spotlight in Luerzer's Archive
NewsVoir Palakkad (Kerala) [India], May 9: 'Where Legends Meet Across Time' print campaign has been recognized by Luerzer's Archive as the top campaign, marking a significant achievement for the Kerala-based branding agency Push 360. The captivating campaign was meticulously crafted for Hortus, the art and literature festival launched in 2024 by the prominent media house, Malayala Manorama. The artwork, crafted by Push 360's Chief Creative Director, Jayaprakash (JePi), imagines a surreal meeting of cultural legends - Vincent van Gogh and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer on the shores of Kozhikode, echoing the festival's spirit of timeless creative dialogue. Luerzer's Archive, a leading global authority on advertising creativity, praised the campaign for its artistic merit, communication impact, and conceptual innovation. V. A. Shrikumar, CMD of Push 360, stated, "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said. I'm truly happy about the recognition our work has received, it speaks volumes through its visual narrative. At Push 360, every campaign is born from a deep process of strategic thinking and creative ideation - crafted to elevate and transform brands with purpose and meaningful differentiation." Jayaprakash, Chief Creative Director, explained the campaign's concept, "The central idea was to create a visual metaphor for the Hortus event, as a unique intersection of brilliance, where legacies could symbolically interact. We wanted to pay homage to the rich heritage of the 'Hortus Malabaricus' while highlighting its enduring relevance and reinterpret that legacy through a modern creative lens aligned with the festival's identity." Push 360 is a premier branding and public relations agency based in Palakkad, Kerala, India, leveraging a distinguished 33-year history of crafting impactful and memorable campaigns that effectively connect across diverse languages and cultures. The agency has built a strong reputation for its strategic branding, impactful advertising, cutting-edge digital solutions, and effective public relations strategies. Launched in 2024, Malayala Manorama Hortus is designed to foster intellectual exchange and artistic expression. Inspired by the 17th-century botanical treatise Hortus Malabaricus commissioned by Hendrik van Rheede, the festival celebrates creativity across disciplines like art, literature, and culture, while engaging a wide audience.
Fashion Value Chain
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Value Chain
Push 360's 'Where Legends Meet Across Time' Campaign Earns Global Spotlight in Luerzer's Archive
Where Legends Meet Across Time print campaign has been recognized by Luerzers Archive as the top campaign, marking a significant achievement for the Kerala-based branding agency Push 360. 'Where Legends Meet Across Time' – A Compelling Campaign by Push 360 Agency for the Malayala Manorama Hortus Art and Literature Festival The captivating campaign was meticulously crafted for Hortus, the art and literature festival launched in 2024 by the prominent media house, Malayala Manorama. The artwork, crafted by Push 360s Chief Creative Director, Jayaprakash (JePi), imagines a surreal meeting of cultural legends – Vincent van Gogh and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer on the shores of Kozhikode, echoing the festival's spirit of timeless creative dialogue. Luerzers Archive, a leading global authority on advertising creativity, praised the campaign for its artistic merit, communication impact, and conceptual innovation. V. A. Shrikumar, CMD of Push 360, stated, 'The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said. I'm truly happy about the recognition our work has received, it speaks volumes through its visual narrative. At Push 360, every campaign is born from a deep process of strategic thinking and creative ideation – crafted to elevate and transform brands with purpose and meaningful differentiation.' Jayaprakash, Chief Creative Director, explained the campaigns concept, 'The central idea was to create a visual metaphor for the Hortus event, as a unique intersection of brilliance, where legacies could symbolically interact. We wanted to pay homage to the rich heritage of the Hortus Malabaricus while highlighting its enduring relevance and reinterpret that legacy through a modern creative lens aligned with the festival's identity.' About Push 360 Push 360 is a premier branding and public relations agency based in Palakkad, Kerala, India, leveraging a distinguished 33-year history of crafting impactful and memorable campaigns that effectively connect across diverse languages and cultures. The agency has built a strong reputation for its strategic branding, impactful advertising, cutting-edge digital solutions, and effective public relations strategies. About Malayala Manorama – Hortus Launched in 2024, Malayala Manorama Hortus is designed to foster intellectual exchange and artistic expression. Inspired by the 17th-century botanical treatise Hortus Malabaricus commissioned by Hendrik van Rheede, the festival celebrates creativity across disciplines like art, literature, and culture, while engaging a wide audience.
