Prashant Dattani (Ramon Tikeram) 2000-2001

First Regular Appearance: 3.43 (#183)  Tuesday 14th March 2000

Last Regular Appearance: 4.26 (#228)  Sunday 15th April 2001

Duration: EP: 183 - 228  |  SE: 3.43 – 4.26

Position: Harchester United Shareholder (2000-2001) / Chairman (2001)

Last Seen: Dead on his office floor from being hit with a trophy, having made several enemies at the club. Killer revealed in flashback.

Prash always had an indomitable competitive streak. He knew how to get, and take, what he wanted from people. Intelligent, but lacking in general human compassion, Prash's dealings within the business world started in the 1980's. He was right in his element surrounded by enterprise and industry, but Dattani's 'to hell with the consequences' attitude to work on top of his self-serving nature alienated his partners, leading to Prash taking his interests to the Far East solo once more. Here, he comes into contact with Marilyn Harwood, who oversees the Far East division of Block Enterprises, and they begin a casual relationship.

After a while things fizzled out, with Prash believing Marilyn had reached her limit as a girlfriend and she returned to England where she became Chief Executive of another of Jerry Block's businesses, Harchester United. Marilyn got in contact with Prash as the club was in serious debt and wanted him to come in as an investor. Prash was ready for a new challenge, and surprised Marilyn as the team returned from the UEFA Fourth Round against Parma. Prash immediately gets to work on convincing the club's board members to sell him their shares, and Jerry is livid to find out Prash's actions are jeopardising his chairmanship. When he learns it would now only take Lynda to sell Prash her shares to give him an overall majority, Jerry fires Marilyn. Prash tries to buy Lynda's shares, with Marilyn recommending she accept his £1M offer, but when Lynda requests a further four million Prash sees Marilyn as a liability and ditches her.

After she sends Jerry packing to Brazil, Lynda has control of the club, and tells Prash she will only sell to him if Harchester is relegated. A plan for this comes together in Prash's mind when he finds a desperate target in Didier Baptiste, needing to pay off his estranged wife Victoria. Prash presents Didier with his offer of getting him the money to see off Victoria - if he sees to it that Harchester are relegated in their final game of the season. Didier agrees and plays badly as promised, but during the game Lynda susses what Prash has done. In a desperate attempt to keep the club in the Premier League, Lynda informs Prash that she will sell if Harchester win, which sends Prash running to the pitchside to try and stop Didier deliberately missing a vital penalty. Didier's shot misses, but a rebound converted by Luis saves the team and Lynda refuses to sell the club to Prash. When the story of Didier's actions finds its way to the FA, he, Lynda and Harchester cover up the scandal with how the real story is a secret love affair between Didier and Prash!

Victoria poses a problem when she, after more money, threatens to go to the papers, but Prash gets her on side by making her his new partner, both business and personal. Their war on Lynda intensifies with Prash withdrawing his guarantee of a £10M loan in Harchester's bank, so Lynda tries to use The Barrons as collateral. Prash and Victoria are one step ahead when they reveal the houses were built above Methane gas, and Lynda feels the wrath of the residents. Their next step is to get Fletch on board with an offer of making him player-manager as soon as Prash is in charge. Lynda comes under more pressure when the stadium fails a safety inspection, and before she can find any investors Prash puts the club into administration. Prash presents his offer before the creditors and they accept, meaning Lynda is out and Prash has won. Prash has a final warning for a stressed-out Lynda, should she try and stop him buying he will tell the press the baby she is carrying is Ray's.

Destroyed by Prash, Lynda loses her baby and is left with nothing, and a furious Ray resigns after threatening to put Prash through the boardroom window! Now with full ownership of the club, Prash has no further need for Victoria and drops her, creating yet another enemy. Getting blinding drunk, a bitter Victoria reveals to Lynda that Prash will sell the club for profit, something he would always have done. Fletch thinks Prash has done him well by making him player-manager as promised, but when Sandra goes to him revealing she heard Prash telling Jeff how he ultimately will replace him with a proper manager, Fletch's stint lasts a single day. The team persuade Ray to return for the last game of the season, and they secure their place in the Champions League with a top three finish.

As Prash celebrates the team's win in his office, a mystery assailant comes in and strikes him on the head with a trophy, the ensuing fall causing Prash to hit his head resulting in a fatal injury. With Fletch, Lynda, Ray and Victoria all at the club at the time, all are suspects in his death. Fletch is ultimately charged and stands trial, receiving a guilty verdict, but Lynda stands up in court and confesses she was responsible. It is revealed Prash taunted Lynda about her stubbornness to sell resulting in the loss of her baby and she saw red, lashing out with the trophy he'd handed her and hit Prash once in which he fell back. She serves three years in prison for his manslaughter.