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- Who is Rickey Pandit? Vijay's astrologer at center of row over appointment in Tamil Nadu govt
Who is Rickey Pandit? Vijay's astrologer at center of row over appointment in Tamil Nadu govt
Actor-turned-politician Vijay has appointed astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel as the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Tamil Nadu government.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has courted controversy within a few days of his taking charge with the appointment of his personal astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Minister’s Office.
With the appointment, the state government, led by Vijay's TVK, has brought into its inner structure a figure long associated with political astrology, numerology and several high-profile predictions within Tamil Nadu’s political circles.
Who is Rickey Pandit?
Born as Vetrivel in Erode, the astrologer was once closely associated with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and reportedly counted her among his most prominent clients. However, their relationship is said to have deteriorated after one of his most significant predictions failed dramatically.
Vetrivel had reportedly assured Jayalalithaa that she would avoid imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case. However, in September 2014, she was jailed following the court verdict, leading to a complete breakdown in their association. Soon after the episode, according to sources familiar with the developments, Jayalalithaa stopped consulting him altogether, following which Vetrivel moved to Singapore.
It was during this phase that Vetrivel reportedly underwent a major reinvention. He adopted the name “Radhan Pandit Vetrivel”, a name carrying a distinctly North Indian resonance, in an apparent attempt to widen both his visibility and appeal among a broader Indian diaspora clientele. Although Tamil by origin and rooted in Erode, with an apartment in Chennai, the astrologer later spent considerable time in Singapore and subsequently in Delhi. Associates familiar with his journey reportedly said the transformation was driven partly by astrological considerations and partly by his aspiration for wider legitimacy and recognition beyond Tamil Nadu.
High-profile clients
Vetrivel claims that between 1996 and 1998, he became well known in Mumbai and worked with several influential personalities from different fields.
According to him, his client base included former Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Jagathish Kapoor, GIC Chairman Sengupta, IDBI Chairman Chakravarthy, advocate Girish Gokhale, a judge of the Mumbai High Court, actress Manisha Koirala, Tea Board Chairman Shom Shekhar and Payal Abdullah, wife of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
He also claimed to have advised Payal Abdullah regarding the birth timing of her son, among other consultations involving high-profile personalities from political, financial and entertainment circles.