Fake Bail Racket Busted In Pune; Lawyers And Middlemen Arrested For Assisting CriminalsÂ
Fake Bail Racket Busted In Pune; Lawyers And Middlemen Arrested For Assisting CriminalsÂ
A racket involving fake sureties and lawyers assisting criminals in obtaining bail from jail has been uncovered by Pune Police. Criminals jailed for serious offenses in Pune district courts struggled to find legitimate sureties, as reputable individuals hesitated to vouch for them. This gap was exploited by a network of fake sureties and lawyers who created forged documents like Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and manipulated online 7/12 land records. To make the ration cards appear authentic, they used counterfeit rubber stamps from the Supply Department and forged signatures. These documents were then validated as genuine by court clerks (Nazars), misleading the court and securing bail for the criminals.
Acting on confidential information, Wanwadi Police laid a trap at the Lashkar Court premises on 04/01/2025 under the orders of DCP Dr. Rajkumar Shinde. The operation led to the arrest of Santoshkumar Shankar Telang and five fake sureties, while the main accomplice managed to flee. A case was registered under IPC sections 319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2), and 3(5), and further investigations led to the arrest of six accused initially.
During the investigation, the prime suspect, Darshan Ashok Shah (45), a resident of Solapur Bazaar, Camp, Pune, who specialized in creating fake rubber stamps, was arrested, and nine stamps along with a machine were seized. Additionally, Piraji alias Chandrakant Maruti Shinde (60) from Moshi and Gopal Pundlik Kangane (35) from Pimpri were arrested on 09/01/2025 for providing forged ration cards. A total of â‚ą89,020 worth of materials, including 95 fake ration cards, 11 suspicious Aadhaar cards, other forged documents, mobile phones, and a moped, were seized from the accused.
Further investigation revealed that Santoshkumar Shankar Telang confessed in court on 15/01/2025 under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023. He named key conspirators, including Advocate Aslam Sayed and Advocate Yogesh Jadhav, who helped facilitate fake sureties and received cash payments for their assistance. Court records revealed that some staff and lawyers were involved in certifying these fake documents. Advocates Aslam Gafur Sayed (45) from Hadapsar and Yogesh Suresh Jadhav (43) from Hadapsar were arrested on 02/02/2025.
Both lawyers will be presented before the court today. Further investigation is being conducted by Police Sub-Inspector Dhanaji Tone of Wanwadi Police Station.
