The CBD Belapur police recently booked a Jaipur-based lawyer after a State Bank of India branch manager filed a complaint that the advocate allegedly cheated him of ₹15 lakh in the name of settling domestic violence and dowry harassment cases.
The complainant, a resident of Nerul, had been facing a legal suit filed by his wife under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act since 2011 at a Jaipur court. His wife had also filed a case of dowry harassment against him at the local police station in Rajasthan.
The complainant was referred to Rajesh Verma, an advocate, by a friend. The bank manager then approached Mr. Verma with the dowry harassment case. After Mr. Verma successfully got the complainant bail, the latter handed him the domestic violence case as well. Mr. Verma assured the complainant that he did not have to visit the court in Jaipur and that he would attend the dates instead.
In 2014, Mr. Verma contacted the complainant and said that he had had settlement talks with his wife and she was ready to withdraw both the complaints for an amount of ₹5 lakh.
Accordingly, the complainant sent the money online to the bank account of Mr. Verma. But a few days later, Mr. Verma again told the complainant that his wife had demanded another ₹10 lakh as he was late in sending the ₹5 lakh. The complainant too believed his word this time and took out a loan and sent ₹10 lakh online to the lawyer’s account. Between February 2, 2014, and September 2, 2016, a total of ₹15 lakh was paid to Mr. Verma. However, later in September 2016, the Jaipur court ordered the complainant to pay ₹15,000 per month from his salary to his wife towards maintenance. When the complainant asked Mr. Verma about this, he gave vague answers, saying that he did not know how the court had issued such an order.
With the help of another advocate from Navi Mumbai, the bank manager went to Jaipur and settled the cases with his wife for ₹12.50 lakh. He learnt that Mr. Verma had never attended his case in court and never had talks with his wife for settlement. Hence, he asked Mr. Verma to return the money but he refused.
The bank manager then filed a complaint with the Bar Council of Rajasthan and also in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class at CBD Belapur. “Following the court’s order, we registered a case for criminal breach of trust and cheating against Mr. Verma on January 27. It’s a technical case and we need to collect enough evidence before making any arrest following the permission by the Deputy Commissioner of Police. The process for this is under way,” senior police inspector Anil Patil from CBD Belapur police station said.
