Woman submits fake bail papers, arrested

MUMBAI: The Bhoiwada police on Monday arrested a housewife from Kandivali for submitting fake documents in court and allegedly standing as a guarantor for the accused in a forgery case, Pradeep Pillai (32), to get him release on bail. Police also arrested three more accused – Subhash Shedge (35), Kiran Ghedge (35) and Rajendra Chougule (32) who reportedly helped Sheetal Shinde (30) in getting the fake documents (ration cards, a ghost company’s letterhead and identity cards and Palghar tehsildar’s certificate).
Investigators found out that the gang members were involved in several cases where they stood as guarantors and using fake documents in several courts in the city has managed to get accused release on bail.
Shinde confessed that she committed in desperate to pay the school fees Rs 10,000 for her two kids. She claimed that after her husband left her she was in no state to pay her kid’s school fees which forced her to do the offence. “The case was registered on July 26 after the court ordered to verify the documents that Shinde submitted in the court to stand as guarantor for Pillai who have been in jail since August 2012. Pillai was arrested in a forgery case of Rs 9 lakhs that he has committed in 2011 after stealing the letterhead of Ramchandra Classes in Dadar locality and used it to get cheque book. The four accused were arrested on court’s instruction,” said Bhoiwada police senior inspector Sunil Tondwalkar.
Shinde and the three others were booked under several sections of the IPC for cheating and forgery. They are sent to police custody till Thursday. Police are searching for Pillai’s wife Priya and her friend Pinki Loke for planning the forgery. The chain of arrest began with Ghedge from Ghatkopar on August 5 who helped Pillai’s wife in getting fake documents in the name of Shinde who was made to stand as guarantor in getting bail for Pillai.
Ghedge’s arrest further helped in the arrest of Shinde, Shedge, Chougule. During the probe the police learnt that Pillai’s wife a teacher by profession sought help from Shinde in getting her husband out from jail. “Shinde said Pillai’s wife who resides in Vasai approached her with request to help her and promised to pay Rs10,000 if she stand as guarantor in court,” said the police.
Investigating officer (Inspector) Sunil Kale said Shedge revealed that he has stood as guarantor in many cases in courts at Andheri, Borivli and Palghar and easily got away after submitting fake documents in getting accused release on bail. “Shedge and other members of the gang failed in their attempt and were nabbed when they submitted fake documents in the Bhoiwada court,” said Kale.