Chandigarh: Lawyer booked for taking ₹3-L fee, not pursuing client’s case

The accused Pankaj Chandgothia has denied the allegations and stated that he had submitted his statement to police

The Chandigarh Police have registered a case against a city-based advocate for allegedly duping a Punjab resident of nearly ₹3 lakh on the pretext of filing a case in the consumer court.

The complainant, a Punjab resident, has alleged that Pankaj Chandgothia duped him of nearly ₹3 lakh on the pretext of filing a case in the consumer court. (HT File)

The complainant, Gurwinder Singh Walia, a resident of Lohgarh, Punjab, stated that he approached the consumer court in Sector 19 last year after discovering a technical fault in his newly purchased Jimny car. During the process, he came into contact with advocate Pankaj Chandgothia, who claimed to be practising at the court.

According to Singh, he initially transferred ₹22,000 via Google Pay, followed by ₹2.8 lakh in cash to Chandgothia. He also handed over all the necessary car-related documents for filing the case. “He kept assuring me that my case was under process. But each time I called, he either ignored the calls or cited personal emergencies,” Singh stated in the complaint.

Eventually, Singh received an online case ID from the advocate. However, when he and his wife visited the consumer court on January 3, they were informed that no such case had been filed and the ID was fake.

When contacted, Pankaj Chandgothia denied the allegations, stating, “The complaint is baseless. I never received any cash from the complainant. I have already submitted my statement to the police.”