Columnist Dean Juipe: Misra, Gupta fail to deliver as advertised

BY NOW it's clear Shruti Misra and her husband Anil Gupta are up to something.

But what? What is it they're looking to gain after a series of deceptions that reflect poorly on themselves, the newspaper they duped when they announced themselves as suitors for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, and, some would say, Las Vegas?

It's obvious today that they don't have the $5 billion in assets they claimed they did a week ago when they sprang into the public consciousness with fantastic tales of wealth. If anything, there are now indications that they may not be wealthy at all.

When the story first appeared in the Review-Journal that Misra was interested in purchasing the for-sale Vikings, there were looks of disbelief all around. An initial and widespread reaction: The husband had called the paper, perhaps on a lark or as a "honey, watch this" bit of mischief, and simply fabricated the tale for his and her amusement.

But getting a laugh at a newspaper's expense wasn't what they were ultimately after, as became evident when they "opened" their private financial records for the same reporter they had hoodwinked earlier. Of course a sportswriter doesn't know a gold-mine deed from a biblical parchment, and the end result was that Misra and Gupta were once again portrayed as emerging aristocrats, albeit with bourgeois tastes.

By this time it was obvious they were beyond some quick-hit publicity stunt. They were intent on perpetuating their financial myth.

But with the Vikings having dismissed Misra's bid on the grounds her application lacked due diligence, it was time for another round of head scratching as the curious contemplated these ersatz Rockefellers. Were they trying, somehow, to set the stage for litigation against the Vikings?

Before a conclusion could be reached, another twist in the plot. It turns out Misra and Gupta had gone to the trouble of presenting themselves as philanthropists (see story page 1A). They made a "donation" of $5.1 million in worthless deeds to a local foundation for the blind, which, in turn, was required to pay for a newspaper ad that thanked and congratulated Misra for her generosity.

That ad, which ran May 24, would seem to indicate Misra and Gupta had something up their sleeves long before they went public and presented themselves as the world's most unheralded billionaires.

If taking a bow in the ad was step 1 and contacting the paper to announce their intention of buying the Vikings was step 2, what then would have been step 3 if no one had the good sense to investigate the pair and interrupt their plans?

Whatever the answer, their plot has been short-circuited.

These are people who stepped from the shadows, presented themselves as rich beyond comprehension, then not only failed to back it up but seem to have exposed themselves as fakes.

For what purpose? Were the misrepresentations designed to confuse a private money lender -- "here's our picture in the paper giving away $5 million, so you know we have equity, but right now we're having a cash-flow problem" -- in an effort to procure a loan they may or may not have repaid?

Perhaps. The only sure thing: They're not buying the Vikings.

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