A sessions court in Mumbai recently denied bail to a woman accused of posing as a Supreme Court lawyer and defrauding a builder of a substantial sum by promising legal assistance. Additional Sessions Judge VM Sundale highlighted that the woman is not a law graduate and has misled multiple people by falsely claiming to be an advocate.
"The applicant not only cheated the public at large but she also attempted to disrespect the noble legal profession. The offence is serious and there is sufficient prima facie evidence against the applicant. The apprehension placed on record by the investigating officer in respect of pressurizing the prosecution witnesses and fleeing away from justice are well founded. In the facts and circumstances, it will not be proper to release the applicant on bail. Hence, the following order is passed," stated the judge.
The accused, Poonam Khanna, sought bail from the sessions court after being charged with cheating and other offences under the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution alleged that in 2019, Ashok Mohanani sought legal representation for two cases in the City Civil Court. Through a mutual acquaintance, Mohanani met Khanna, who falsely claimed to be a practicing Supreme Court lawyer and agreed to represent him. Khanna requested legal fees of ₹15 lakh, and Mohanani paid ₹10 lakh upfront.
One of Mohanani's cases involved construction issues in a village due to the electricity department's failure to install a transformer, causing a lack of electricity supply and financial losses for him and other builders. Khanna promised to initiate legal action to resolve the transformer issue, demanding ₹3 crore with 50 percent in advance. After negotiations, the builders agreed to pay Khanna ₹2.11 crore, with an initial payment of ₹71 lakh.
Mohanani later discovered that Khanna had neither completed the work nor initiated any legal proceedings. Further investigation revealed that she was not an advocate and had deceived several others similarly. Consequently, Mohanani lodged a complaint against her.
The State's counsel argued that Khanna faced eleven criminal cases in various police stations. Investigations also revealed that Khanna provided false residential addresses. The court noted that Khanna's anticipatory bail pleas were rejected by both the Supreme Court and the High Court.
"It further appears that similar crimes are registered against the applicant in Haryana State... In the course of investigation it is transpired that the applicant is not law graduate and she has deceived several persons by falsely representing to be an advocate... The applicant has no permanent abode. In the course of investigation, the applicant had given false information about her residence," the Court noted while denying the bail plea.
Advocate Nasima Battivala represented Khanna, APP Ratnavali Patil appeared for the State, and Advocate Umesh Iyer represented Mohanani.
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