Sydney businessman Amit Sharma accused of defrauding the NDIS
Amit Sharma is a respected member of the Indian community in Sydney and proud dad who loves posting pictures of himself with Bollywood stars. But now he’s found himself in court.
Exclusive: He’s a respected figure in Australia’s Indian society, who once sponsored red carpet ‘Bollywood’ events and glittering balls, while simultaneously running multiple businesses helping the most vulnerable in the community.
But now proud father Amit Sharma, who loves posting pictures of himself with Bollywood superstars, is facing charges relating to defrauding the National Disability Insurance Scheme, after allegedly illegally obtaining tens of thousands of names and personal details of NDIS clients.
Commonwealth Public Prosecutor Therese Hartcher told a Sydney court that Mr Sharma was allegedly given the personal details of 40,000 NDIS clients, including highly sensitive information about their mental health status and living arrangements, by former National Disability Insurance Agency employee Leena Kumar.
He was then alleged to have used those details to make fraudulent claims, as well as allegedly approaching some NDIS clients to offer disability services.
Mr Sharma’s and Ms Kumar’s next hearing at Parramatta Local Court will be on May 24.
There are no criminal charges against Mr Sharma’s glamorous wife Nikita Patel Sharma. They have run other businesses together in the past. She is not involved in these proceedings.
A number of businesses the couple are linked to have been banned from working with NDIS clients or providing services to people on the scheme.
Mr and Mrs Sharma, both originally from Indore, a city in west-central India according to their Facebook pages, are often seen at glittering functions around Sydney, as well as business networking events, and appear to live a comfortable lifestyle.
Their multimillion-dollar six-bed, four-bathroom mansion in Carlingford, Sydney, which is now up for auction, provides ample room for them and their two children, one of which is at a prestigious private school where kindy fees start at $22,095 a year.
Our investigation can reveal that the couple is linked to businesses that have been banned from working with the NDIS, including Jinmata Pty Ltd, which operates PB Holidays, and is registered to their home address. On the Price Beat Holidays Facebook page Mr Sharma is in a video and is described as the director of Price Beat Travel, as is his wife named a director on a business card.
Somya Academy Pty Ltd, which lists Nikita Patel as the CEO, and which operates under the name Stride Business Institute, providing education and training, is registered to their Carlingford home address.
A4 Education, which operates businesses Clean App and Sang Cleaning Services, has the couple’s address as the principal place of business.
Mr Sharma, who is also involved in youth cricket, has been charged with policy disclosure of protected agency information, record / use / disclose protected agency info without authorisation, dishonesty intend to obtain a gain.
Ms Kumar, of Blacktown, Sydney, is charged with record/use/disclose protected agency info without authorisation contrary to s62 of the NDIS Act and official abuse public office to cause detriment contrary to s142.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
No pleas have been entered.
News Corp sought comment from Mr and Mrs Sharma via Mr Sharma’s lawyer Joshua O’Rahilly-Hadley, who said the couple would not be commenting.
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Originally published as Sydney businessman Amit Sharma accused of defrauding the NDIS
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