The Vidhana Soudha police on Thursday booked a cheating and forgery case against a habitual offender from Athani in north Karnataka for trying to enrol as a member of the bar council by producing a forged LLB degree certificate.
Based on a complaint by Sreeram Reddy, Secretary, Karnataka State Bar Council, the police booked Shivaji Balappa Sanadi.
According to Mr. Reddy, Mr. Sanadi had submitted an application on July 2014 requesting membership. He submitted a notarised copy of a certificate showing that he passed LL.B. examination in Magadha University, Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
He was enrolled as an advocate on July this year, following which he started practicing in Athani and other courts in Belgaum district.
On October 9, the Karnataka State Bar Council received a complaint from Mr. Pramod Dayanand Hiremani, advocate, Athani, stating that Mr. Sanadi has produced a fake LL.B. certificate, is named in several criminal cases and extorting from government servants, women and helpless people by posing as the editor of a local newspaper. The complainant also alleged that Mr. Sanadi never attended any law college (he has always been living in Athani) and has no knowledge of English or Hindi.
Based on the complaint, the State bar council cancelled Mr. Sanadi’s membership before filing a criminal case against him.