Two retired government officials, Ms. Nisha Udaykumar Kadam (65) and Mr. Vijay Bhiwaji Jadhav (68), have been granted anticipatory bail by the Sessions Court of Greater Bombay. The former officials, suspected of being involved in a large-scale forgery case, had applied for pre-arrest bail fearing detention in connection with the alleged crimes of forgery, cheating, and criminal breach of trust.
The case, registered under C.R. No. 490 of 2021 at Kherwadi Police Station, centers around accusations that the two ex-officials, along with co-accused, forged 884 measurement and boundary-fixing maps during their tenure at the Deputy Superintendent’s Office of Land Records, Mumbai Suburban. The maps are said to have been falsified and distributed to the public, leading to significant fraud and loss to the government.
The applicants face charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 420 (Cheating), Section 465 (Forgery), Section 467 (Forgery of valuable security), Section 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), Section 471 (Using forged documents), and Section 409 (Criminal breach of trust). They are suspected of issuing forged maps to individuals under the Right to Information Act, further exacerbating the scale of the alleged fraud.
During the proceedings, the prosecution argued that the applicants’ presence in custody was essential to the investigation. They claimed that custodial interrogation would help uncover the full extent of the alleged crimes. However, the defense countered that the applicants had already cooperated with the investigation, and no compelling reasons were given to justify the need for their physical detention. The defense further pointed out that both Kadam and Jadhav had retired from their positions and had no prior criminal records.
Presiding over the case, Additional Sessions Judge V. M. Sundale ruled in favor of the applicants, granting them anticipatory bail. The judge noted that both accused were senior citizens, aged 65 and 68, and had demonstrated cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The court found no justification for custodial interrogation and ruled that the applicants posed no flight risk or threat to the investigation.
The court ordered the applicants to furnish a personal bond of Rs. 15,000 each and comply with bail conditions, including regular reporting to the police station and a prohibition on leaving the country without prior court approval.
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