Advocate, 2 others booked for running 'fake lawyers' racket'

A city-based advocate and two of his female associates were booked for allegedly running a racket of "fake lawyers" here and cheating litigants, police said today.
Cases against advocate Sunil Kumar and his two associates were lodged with Borivali police station, Kurur police station last month; while the one with Azad Nagar police station was filed on April 8.
The cases were registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register), 467 (forgery of valuable security) of IPC, besides other relevant sections.
They were booked after advocate Shashikant Chaudhari had in July last filed complaint against Kumar at several police stations, alleging he is running a "racket of fake lawyers".

"An FIR was registered recently in this regard. We are investigating the matter and will take action accordingly as the probe proceeds," investigating officer at Azad Maidan police station, Umesh Shinde, said.
Complainant Chaudhari said he had filed at least 10 cases at different city police stations against Kumar, which were verified by the police. Later on, three police stations converted the complaint into an FIR.

Chaudhari maintained Kumar is a genuine advocate but his two female associates are not. He alleged the accused, through his law firm, M/s. Kumar & Associates, is running a racket.
"As per my knowledge, Kumar is a genuine advocate. But his two associates are not. I have documents related to Roznama of courts, Bail Bonds, Surety Application and Vakalatnama and application which are filed by his associates, showing that they are not advocates and are cheating people and the court as well," Chaudhari told PTI.

He said he had also sent an application to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and Bar Council of Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Kumar denied all the allegations levelled against him and claimed the complainant, Chaudhari, himself was an accused in a molestation case, filed by one of his female associates and is doing so "out of vengeance".
"The complainant was working under me where one of my colleagues filed a case of molestation against him. So, he has made baseless allegations against me and my colleagues. I will give a befitting reply in the court of law," Kumar said.
Chaudhari, however, said the "fake molestation" case was lodged against him only after he first filed the complaint against Kumar in July last.