Mumbai: 42-Year-Old Lawyer Arrested For Cheating Client Of ₹2.3 Crore With Fake High Court Order; Remanded In Custody Until October 24

Mumbai: The Azad Maidan police on Saturday arrested a lawyer, Vinay Kumar Khatu, 42, for allegedly cheating her client, 74-year-old Urmila Talyarkhan, of Rs 2.3 crore with a fake Bombay High Court order. Khatu was arrested in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, and has been remanded to police custody until October 24.

Earlier denying anticipatory bail to Khatu, Sessions Court and the Bombay High Court emphasised the need for custodial interrogation, citing his alleged criminal history. The case against Khatu, a resident of Parel, was filed on August 30 at the Azad Maidan police station.

Talyarkhan is a businesswoman and a resident of New Delhi. She had hired Khatu to handle several legal matters in 2014. A few years ago, she had purchased land in Alibaug. However, another person had claimed ownership to the land and filed a petition in the Raigad court, which ruled in his favour.

Talyarkhan subsequently filed an appeal against the decision in the HC and hired Khatu to represent her. Khatu took Rs2 crore from her to handle the proceedings. He later informed her that the hearings for appeals had concluded and that the court had ruled in her favour. He also sent her a copy of the court order and took additional money thereafter.

In April, Talyarkhan sought a second opinion on the court decision and presented all the documents, including the order. Upon verification, it was discovered that the order was fake. She then checked the HC website, which revealed that no hearings had taken place in her case. Realising she had been defrauded, she approached the Azad Maidan police station.