Pune: Fake Guarantor Racket Busted ! Two Lawyers, 11 Others Arrested for Securing Bail to Criminals Using Forged Documents
Pune :
In a significant action, a well-organised racket that fabricated fake guarantors to secure bail for criminals in jail has been exposed. In this case, the police have arrested 11 people, including two lawyers, who were instrumental in preparing fraudulent documents and misleading the court. The operation also revealed the involvement of court staff in this scheme.
The arrested lawyers have been identified as Adv. Aslam Gafur Syed (age 45, a resident of Vaiduwadi, Hadapsar) and Adv. Yogesh Suresh Jadhav (age 43, a resident of Hadapsar). The key accused, Farhan alias Bablu Sheikh (a resident of Vaiduwadi, Hadapsar), along with another lawyer, Adv. Narendra Jadhav, orchestrated the scam by arranging fake guarantors who posed as genuine individuals in court.
The case came to light when a criminal in judicial custody, Santosh Kumar Shankar Telang, made a shocking confession before the court on January 15, revealing that accused individuals had been paying bribes in cash to secure bail through fraudulent means. Following this revelation, the police launched an investigation and uncovered the fraudulent racket.
At a press conference, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dr. Rajkumar Shinde shed light on the racket’s operations. He informed that criminals in judicial custody, especially those involved in serious crimes, often struggle to find legitimate guarantors for their bail due to public fear. Taking advantage of this, a group of lawyers, along with fake guarantors, set up a network to exploit the legal system.
These fake guarantors approached the relatives of jailed criminals and offered their services for a price. Once a deal was struck, the gang used forged documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and property records (7/12 extracts) to fabricate proof of identity. To make the documents appear legitimate, they used counterfeit rubber stamps of government officials, including a fake signature of the Deputy Commissioner of the Supply Department. These fraudulent papers were then verified and approved by court staff, including an Assistant Superintendent (Nazar).
Once these fake guarantors appeared in court, they pretended to be genuine and helped criminals secure bail through deceptive means.
A few days ago, the Wanwadi police received confidential information about this racket, leading to a covert operation. On January 4, under the instructions of DCP Dr. Rajkumar Shinde, officers laid a trap at Lashkar Court premises. During the operation, Santosh Kumar Shankar Telang and five fake guarantors were taken into custody. However, the prime accused, Farhan alias Bablu Sheikh, managed to escape in the chaos. Despite this, the police arrested six individuals from the court premises.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Darshan Ashok Shah (45, resident of Solapur Bazar, Camp), a shopkeeper who supplied fake and stolen rubber stamps to the accused. The police seized nine counterfeit rubber stamps and a machine used for forging official seals from him.
Additionally, two other individuals involved in forging documents were arrested. These include Piraji alias Chandrakant Maruti Shinde (age 60, a resident of Bharatmata Chowk, Moshi, Taluka Haveli) and Gopal Pundalik Kangane (age 35, a resident of Morwadi, Pimpri) who were providing single-page ration cards to the accused.
The police have so far seized 95 suspected ration cards, 11 suspected Aadhaar cards, forged documents, mobile phones, and even a moped. The total value of the confiscated items is estimated at Rs 89,020.
Authorities are now investigating how many criminals managed to secure bail using these fraudulent documents and who within the legal system aided them. It has been confirmed that some lawyers and court staff were also involved in the operation. In this regard, two lawyers have been arrested. Meanwhile, Police Sub-Inspector Dhanaji Tane of Wanwadi Police Station is conducting further investigation in this case.
