In a shocking incident, police have uncovered an appalling scheme in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, where a man posing as a judge has been running a fake tribunal and issuing fraudulent judgments since 2019. The accused has been identified as Morris Samuel Christian. As per officials, he has been arrested and is accused of deceiving several people, particularly in land disputes.
Christian reportedly created a courtroom-like setting in his office, complete with the appearance of a legitimate tribunal. For years, he passed off his judgments as legally binding, duping unsuspecting clients into believing they were receiving legitimate judicial decisions. According to police, Christian preyed on people involved in complicated land deals, promising them immediate resolutions in exchange for his hefty fees. The scam went undetected for several years before law enforcement intervened, bringing an end to his fraudulent operations.
Probe launched
Investigations are ongoing as authorities delve deeper into the extent of Christian’s fraudulent activities and the number of people affected by his deceptive scheme. By assuming the role of a judge, he exploited the vulnerable, manipulating the course of justice for personal gain. The elaborate charade involved Christian's associates posing as court personnel, creating a façade of authenticity to dupe his clients. The elaborate theatrics, complete with a mock courtroom setting in Gandhinagar, lent an air of legitimacy to his deceitful proceedings.
In 2019, Christian passed an order in favour of his client using the same modus operandi. The case was pertaining to a government land under the district collector while his client had staked claim on it and wanted to add his name in revenue records related to the plot in question located in Paldi area, a police release said on Monday.
Accused's modus operandi
Without an authority or order issued by any court under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, Christian told his client he has been appointed as the "official arbitrator" by the government. The conman then initiated fake proceedings at his 'court' and passed an order in favour of his client, directing the collector to add his client's name in the revenue records of that land, the release said. To implement the order, Christian, through another lawyer, filed an appeal in the city civil court and attached the fraudulent order passed by him. The court registrar, Hardik Desai, recently found out that Christian is neither an arbitrator nor is the order of the tribunal genuine.
Following his complaint, the Karanj police here lodged an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 170 (pretending to hold any office as a public servant) and 419 (cheating by personation). The conman was arrested for allegedly cheating people by posing as a judge of an arbitral tribunal and passing favourable orders claiming he has been appointed as an arbitrator by a competent court to adjudicate legal disputes, the release said. The accused is already facing a cheating complaint filed at the city's Maninagar police station in 2015, it added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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