The city of Newark recently faced an embarrassing situation when it was revealed that a fake Hindu nation had scammed it. The nation of Kailasa was supposedly the city’s new Sister City, but it turns out that it was nothing more than an elaborate hoax created by a notorious scam artist and fugitive from India.
It all began when Mayor Ras Baraka invited the representatives of Kailasa to City Hall for a cultural trade agreement. Unfortunately, no one in the city bothered to do a simple Google search to see if Kailasa actually existed. It wasn’t until after the agreement was signed that the truth came to light and City Council was forced to rescind the agreement.
This incident is a stark reminder of the importance of doing due diligence before signing any agreement. Unfortunately, the city of Newark failed to take this important step and ended up being embarrassed in the process.
Although no money was exchanged in this agreement, Newark still apologizes to its citizens for the deception. In a statement, City Hall said that this incident was “regrettable” and that it “remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect.”
The blue-run city didn’t realize that the country was a fraud until they held an official ceremony.
City of Newark, New Jersey admits it got scammed into becoming “sister cities” with a fake nation. @CBSNewYork https://t.co/QD0nmin7V5 pic.twitter.com/7NiizmUP5M
— Ali Bauman (@AliBaumanTV) March 9, 2023
“Kailasa” is reportedly the fabrication of a notorious scam artist and fugitive from India who is called Swami Nithyananda. CBS News reports that Nithyananda has “been on the run from rape charges since 2019.”
“Whose job was it to do a simple Google search? No one in City Hall, not one person did a Google search, so maybe we need a transformation of City Hall ’cause not one person said, let me go and Google and figure out this was a fake city,” Shakee Merritt, a Newark resident told reporters.
