Almost a month after the owner of Alpha Omega Jewelers left the country, South Asian residents of Lexington - where businessman Raman Handa has a $2 million house - say they never saw it coming.
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And while there are no clear answers as to why Handa and his family left, speculation over the sudden departure abound in this area's Indian community, whose members are apt to know, or at least know about, each other or their families.

"Maybe someone threatened him with his life," said Narain Bhatia, 63, of Wakefield, who says he has known Handa for more than a decade. "There are other ways - you can declare bankruptcy, there are laws to protect you. He did not have to leave the country. . . . I cannot think of any other reason why he would leave the country."

Handa, whose jewelry chain has out lets in Boston, Burlington, Cambridge, and Natick and attracted such celebrity customers as President Clinton and film star Ben Affleck, was seen as an immigrant success story in Lexington, where Asian Indians make up 2.2 percent of the population and are among its most affluent. According to the 2000 US Census, the median household income of the 726 Asian Indians in Lexington in 1999 was $141,239, compared with $96,825 for all residents of the town.

On Dec. 12, Handa reportedly admitted himself to a hospital and three days later left the country with his wife and two children. He left behind millions of dollars in debts to companies including Rolex Watch USA Inc. and The Boston Globe, but no word about his departure.

Even some relatives were caught off guard. A cousin, Vinod Kapoor of Lexington, said he last talked to Handa Dec. 9.

"I bumped into him at the Burlington Mall. We talked about family," Kapoor said. He said they made plans to go out for dinner sometime after Christmas, when the holiday shopping rush subsided. "Christmas, I never bother him because those are his busy days," Kapoor said. "He sounded very tired, which always is the case. He always looks tired."

A week later, the Handas were gone, leaving behind their house in Lexington with three luxury cars parked in the driveway, and the Alpha Omega chain in limbo.

Lawyers handling the case have told the Globe they have been in touch with Handa since his departure and that he is recuperating in India with the help of traditional Ayurvedic, or holistic, medicine. Handa's son, Amit, and daughter, Nindi, have reportedly traveled to England to meet with advisers about restructuring the company, the Globe reported previously.

Kapoor said he never suspected anything was wrong - that Handa might have been unwell, that perhaps he was having financial troubles, or that he was planning to return to India
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/10/speculation_grows_o...