Conman posed as fake judge, ran bogus court for 5 years in Gujarat

Christian preyed on unsuspecting individuals, promising swift resolutions to their land disputes in exchange for hefty fees.

Updated on: Oct 23, 2024, 11:22:17 IST

By HT News Desk

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A shocking scam has been unearthed in Gandhinagar, where a man, Morris Samuel Christian, posed as a judge and ran a fake tribunal, deceiving numerous individuals involved in land disputes since 2019. Christian's elaborate ruse, which included a mock courtroom setup and associates posing as court personnel, fooled many into believing they were in a legitimate court.

Police said Christian, the mastermind behind this elaborate ruse, wielded his gavel to pass judgments in favour of his clients, all within the fabricated walls of his office.

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The Scam

Christian preyed on unsuspecting individuals, promising swift resolutions to their land disputes in exchange for hefty fees. He assumed the role of a judge, exploiting the vulnerable and manipulating the course of justice for personal gain. In one case, Christian passed an order in favor of his client, directing the district collector to add his client's name to the revenue records of a government land in Paldi area.

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, officials said.

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The scam was exposed when the court registrar, Hardik Desai, discovered that Christian was not a genuine arbitrator and the order of the tribunal was fake. An FIR was lodged under IPC sections 170 and 419, and Christian was arrested for cheating by personation.

Previous Complaints

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

This is not Christian's first run-in with the law. He is already facing a cheating complaint filed at Maninagar police station in 2015.

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HT News Desk
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