Fake court order used to secure bail, Bombay HC files police complaint
The fake court order was submitted as an official document before the Bombay HC to obtain bail. Following the discovery that the court order is fake, both the Bombay HC and district court have ordered an investigation into the fraud
A fraud has been unearthed at the Bombay high court (HC) wherein the accused in a case of cheating secured bail using a fake court order bearing the forged signature of a Pune court judge even as their bail was originally refused.
The fake court order was submitted as an official document before the Bombay HC to obtain bail. Following the discovery that the court order is fake, both the Bombay HC and district court have ordered an investigation into the fraud.
Judge Shivkumar Dige in his order stated: “The above order was passed on the basis of a handwritten order of learned JMFC tendered before this court. The order passed by the learned JMFC, Pune, below exhibit-88 shows that the said court has not passed any such order on December 13, 2024. Admittedly, this court has disposed of the anticipatory bail application of the respondent (original applicant) on the handwritten order of the JMFC but it appears that the said order is forged and fabricated. The respondent in his affidavit has stated that he has no objection to recall the order. Considering these facts, the order passed by this court dated January 17, 2025 in anticipatory bail application number 2134 of 2022 is recalled. The interim anticipatory bail granted to the respondent (original applicant) is vacated. The registrar (judicial-I) is directed to make an enquiry in respect of forged and fabricated handwritten order of JMFC, Pune, produced before this court and lodge an FIR against the persons involved in it.”
CTR Manufacturing Industries Pvt Ltd, a company headquartered out of Pune, submitted a tender for an airport project in 2022. After the tendering process was initiated, it was found that Chennai-based Esun M R Pvt Ltd had copied CTR’s design and diagrams with the help of some staffers. CTR officials filed a complaint at the Pune Airport police station in January 2022.
After the FIR was lodged, senior officials of Esun M R Pvt Ltd including Ravikumar Ramaswamy, Haribhau Chemte and three others were arrested. The accused initially sought bail in a Pune court which was rejected. The accused then approached Bombay HC for interim bail after their bail applications were rejected by the local court. CTR’s legal team managed to procure an official certified copy of the original Pune court order, which proved that the document submitted before the Bombay HC was forged.
Later, judge Wahida Makandar confirmed that the signature was not hers, so the CTR team immediately approached the Bombay HC to expose the fraud. Upon verifying the allegations, the Bombay HC cancelled the accused’s bail. The court also directed the registrar to file a police complaint and conduct an investigation into how the fake order was created and who participated in the forgery.