Ravindra Kumar Gupta, a fake lawyer, practised illegally for 18 years before being exposed. Bhopal court sentenced him to 3 years in jail for forgery and impersonation.
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BHOPAL: In Madhya Pradesh, a district court in Bhopal has sentenced Ravindra Kumar Gupta to three years of imprisonment for impersonating a lawyer and practicing law for nearly 18 years using forged documents.
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The facade began to unravel when Advocate Rajesh Vyas filed a complaint at the MP Nagar police station, raising suspicions about Gupta’s legal credentials. According to the complaint, Gupta had been impersonating a qualified lawyer, using a forged document (enrolment certificate) from the Madhya Pradesh State Bar Council.
Gupta’s deception was far-reaching; he had even managed to secure membership in the Bhopal District Bar Association on August 14, 2013, under membership number 4008, presenting falsified documents that initially went unchecked.
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As investigations progressed, it was discovered that Gupta had also forged another Bar Council certificate dated August 17, 1999, allegedly bearing the number 1629/1999. However, this number was officially registered under Advocate Pradeep Kumar Sharma from Ujjain, not Gupta. This damning piece of evidence confirmed that Gupta had stolen another lawyer’s identity to bolster his charade.
In 2017, when authorities issued a notice demanding original documentation, Gupta submitted yet another fake certificate, which sealed his fate. A detailed probe confirmed that Gupta was never enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council at any point.
Since 1999, Gupta had been appearing in courts, offering legal advice, interacting with the police, and representing litigants in various legal matters, all without any formal legal education or enrolment. Putting on the black coat worn by licensed advocates, he charged clients for unauthorised legal services, exploiting the trust of hundreds who believed they were hiring a qualified professional.
The verdict was pronounced by 25th Additional Sessions Judge Pehlaj Singh Kamethiya, who sentenced Gupta to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 4,000. Public Prosecutor Satish Samaiya represented the state and successfully argued for Gupta’s conviction.
The court found Gupta guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 419 for cheating by personation, Section 420 for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, Section 467 for forgery of valuable security, Section 468 for forgery committed with the intention to cheat, and Section 471 for using a forged document as if it were genuine.
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