Two advocates arrested at the Panvel court in Navi Mumbai for their alleged involvement in a fake heirship certificate case. The arrests were made on Friday, and the accused have been remanded to police custody for nine days. Authorities are investigating their roles in forging documents and the extent of the fraudulent activities. This incident highlights concerns about legal malpractice and its implications on the judicial system.
Mumbai: Two lawyers, Amar Patwardhan and Nitin Kelkar, have been arrested by the Panvel City police in connection with the forgery of an heirship certificate at the Panvel court.
This follows the arrest of Deepak Phad, a court clerk, who was previously detained in this case.
According to Senior Police Inspector Nitin Thakeray from the Panvel City police station,
“The duo, along with the clerk, allegedly created forged copies of orders related to heirship petitions. The exact number of forgeries is currently under investigation.”
The advocates apprehended on Friday and have been placed in police custody for nine days. Phad remains in custody until January 5, after which the police will seek an extension.
Kamaladevi Narayandas Gupta had obtained a heirship certificate from the Panvel Court through a broker, which was later found to be fraudulent. She presented this certificate to CIDCO, as it is required for the release of plots under CIDCO’s 12.5% scheme.
However, CIDCO rejected it when it did not appear in their online system. Following this, Gupta approached Advocate Mahesh Deshmukh, who filed a court application regarding the counterfeit certificate.
An investigation revealed that the certificate was indeed forged, with fake stamps and signatures of both the judge and the assistant superintendent.
In November, based on the court’s directive, the superintendent of the court lodged a complaint at the Panvel City Police Station, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
It was discovered that clerk Phad, along with advocates Patwardhan and Kelkar, allegedly prepared the fraudulent heirship certificate by forging signatures and affixing court seals. Police believe that other court staff, brokers, and officials from CIDCO’s 12.5% department may also be implicated.
The officer stated,
“More suspects are likely to be involved in the case, and we are continuing our investigation,”
The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is a government-owned corporation in Maharashtra, India, established in 1970. It is responsible for the planning, development, and management of urban infrastructure, with a focus on planned urbanization and industrial growth. CIDCO has played a pivotal role in developing new towns and providing infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and other areas of Maharashtra.
CIDCO’s 12.5% scheme is a land compensation initiative by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) of Maharashtra. It aims to compensate project-affected persons (PAPs) whose land has been acquired for urban development projects.
Under this scheme, 12.5% of the acquired land area is returned to the original landowners or their nominees in the form of developed plots. This scheme ensures equitable compensation, promotes sustainable development, and supports the rehabilitation of affected individuals.
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