Solomon James filed writ petition 383 with the Supreme Court of India on September 9, 2011. The petition, signed by 115 panelists, demanded money owed to them by Speak Asia, a company that stopped paying members in May of that year. Shortly after halting payments, Speak Asia transferred over one hundred million USD out of India.

This money, belonging to Speak Asia's members, has not been seen since its transfer. As the James writ 383 petition advanced, the Supreme Court initiated the formation of the Lahoti Committee. Former Chief Justice Ramesh Chandra Lahoti led this committee, which the court tasked to "explore the possibility of an amicable settlement between the parties."

All Indian banks have actively blocked official money transfers from Speak Asia's known accounts into India since May. These banks are aware of ongoing criminal investigations into Speak Asia. They will not shoulder liability if the company is found guilty of fraud when investigations conclude. This situation remains unchanged.

The Lahoti Committee held its first meeting in November. Subsequent meetings have occurred in secret, with most discussion details withheld from the public and Speak Asia's own members. One detail that did emerge was the initial absence of the EOW, the primary authority investigating Speak Asia.

That changed last Monday. Reports indicated the EOW did attend a committee meeting. Speak Asia's senior panelists interpret this attendance as a positive sign, suggesting an imminent "victory for Speak Asia." The rationale behind this belief remains unclear.

The EOW has publicly charged Speak Asia as the largest MLM fraud they have investigated. The agency currently holds Melvin Crasto and Ashish Dandekar, two senior publicly known management figures of Speak Asia, under arrest. A court denied Ashish Dandekar bail again just yesterday. Evidence presented showed his active management role within Speak Asia.

Despite these facts, Speak Asia's senior panelists maintain that the EOW's involvement in the Lahoti Committee can only lead to a positive outcome for the company. The Lahoti Committee's mandate solely involves facilitating dialogue between Speak Asia and its panelists, separate from the ongoing criminal investigation.