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Stone cold in court, Rajat Gupta faces an American winter

As Gupta remained silent, the prosecution built a strong case against him.

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By Sujeet Rajan

NEW YORK: The calm, collected demeanour on Rajat Gupta's face broke briefly on Wednesday, the last day of his four-week long trial. Overcome with a sudden burst of emotion, perhaps with remorse of seeing his eldest daughter Geetanjali Gupta exposed to the quagmire of the courtroom's histrionics, he wept briefly as she testified on his behalf.

The stoic composure was back in place on Friday -- just like it was plastered on his ruggedly handsome face throughout the ordeal he went through -- when the jury read out the guilty verdict, condemning him to jail time, unless he wins a reprieve on appeal at a higher court.

Walking to and out of the Manhattan Federal Court since his trial started last month on May 21, Gupta, 63, could easily have been mistaken for taking a casual jaunt after attending a boardroom meeting. Immaculately dressed in tailored suits and expensive silk ties, he looked his usual confident self, a suave man who knew his exact self-worth, and the world at large.

At the trial, Gupta's personal banker testified, to show that Gupta did not have any need for nefarious dealings to churn money, that his total family assets were around $130 million, including three lavish homes in Westport, Connecticut, Colorado and Florida.

Gupta listened serenely, his face displaying the same lack of emotion that characterised his personality to those who saw him at court for the first time, and day after day thereafter, but not surprising to others who knew him well, professionally and personally. Behind him sat his wife, Anita, and his four daughters Geetanjali, Megha, Aditi and Deepali, who displayed on the contrary, all the different vagaries of emotion as the trial progressed.

Read this story at The Economic Times

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