The Ahmedabad Police have arrested Morris Samuel Christian in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, for allegedly establishing a fraudulent tribunal where he posed as a judge and conducted sham court proceedings. The operation, which reportedly lasted at least five years, began with a favorable ruling he issued in a land dispute case back in 2019.
Christian targeted individuals involved in land disputes pending before the city civil court, enticing them with promises of favorable outcomes in exchange for fees. He falsely presented himself as a court-appointed arbitrator and invited clients to his office, which was designed to resemble a real courtroom.
During these fake sessions, Christian issued rulings as the presiding officer of his bogus tribunal, utilizing accomplices who acted as court staff and lawyers to create an illusion of legitimacy.
The operation came to light following a complaint from the registrar of the city civil court, which prompted an investigation by the Ahmedabad city police. Christian now faces charges of impersonating a public servant under Section 170 and cheating by personation under Section 419 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The police discovered that Christian had been deceiving clients by falsely claiming to be appointed by a competent court to resolve legal disputes. In one notable case from 2019, he facilitated a claim for a client wishing to add their name to the revenue records for a government-owned plot in the Paldi area. Without any legitimate authority or court order under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, he falsely claimed to be the “official arbitrator” and initiated fake proceedings.
Christian then issued an order directing the district collector to add his client’s name to the land records. To further his deception, he, through an accomplice lawyer, filed an appeal in the city civil court, presenting his fraudulent order as legitimate documentation.
The fraudulent activities were uncovered when registrar Hardik Desai identified that neither Christian nor his tribunal had any genuine legal authority, leading to the filing of a formal complaint.
Following Desai’s report, the Karanj police registered an FIR and arrested Christian, who also has a previous cheating complaint from 2015 at the Maninagar police station. Authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of his fraudulent operations.
This incident underscores the pressing issue of legal impersonation and highlights the importance of vigilance among individuals navigating land disputes.
