The Gupta family wedding at the Emirates Palace in Dubai / (Photo: YouTube screenshot)
The Gupta family wedding at the Emirates Palace in Dubai / (Photo: YouTube screenshot)
This probably won’t surprise many, but the Indian billionaires who defrauded the South African state are apparently up to no good once more. An environmental activist has claimed that the upcoming Gupta wedding in the Himalayas is in direct contravention of a High Court ruling.
Ravinder Jugran is an environmentalist and a campaigner for ecological causes. He claims that the Indian government are flouting protection laws for Auli – the skiing venue which is hosting the event – to allow the Gupta brothers to throw their ostentatious, R427m celebration.
According to the Times of India, a restriction on camping is in place due to environmental factors:
“A High Court order is being kept at bay to please the brothers and all rules are being bypassed to facilitate the Gupta wedding. Auli is a skiing destination, and making it a wedding destination will affect the ecological sensitivity of the Himalayan region.”
Ravinder Jugran
Jugran has vowed to hold the brothers – and certain politicians – accountable for their actions. He has already submitted a letter to the state government’s chief secretary, hoping to clarify this seemingly-shady arrangement.
The family are hosting the mother of all parties next week as the sons of Atul and Ajay Gupta get hitched during a double ceremony. Suryakant Gupta will go first, with Ajay’s lad’s wedding taking place from 18 -20 June. Then comes Shashank – Atul’s son will tie the knot on 22 June, with festivities continuing until 24 June.
Of course, it seems any wedding they host descends into controversy. Back in 2013, they picked up the bill for Vega Gupta’s R30 million nuptials in Sun City, Johannesburg. The event was made infamous for the fact that some wedding guests were allowed to fly into the Waterkloof Military Base instead of a conventional airport.
With the billionaires heavily-implicated in state capture, it’s thought that some of our tax money went towards the funding. But his time around, it doesn’t look like they’ll be defrauding the National Treasury
Their chosen venue is almost three kilometres above sea level, and guests can only access Auli by helicopter. The Guptas have cranked up the luxury for both ceremonies – from imported Swiss flowers to an enormous food menu – but they have once again been accused of acting outside of the law.