Mumbai Crime: 72-year-old fake lawyer practises for 14 years, arrested

Accused fake lawyer Mandakini Kashinath Sohini

The BKC Police on Saturday arrested a 72-year-old fake lawyer practicing law since 2008 in Mumbai.

According to the BKC police, the woman identified as Mordekai Rebecca Joub alias Mandakini Kashinath Sohini, a resident of Pali Hill in Bandra west was summoned by the police to verify her credentials on July 15, but she did not appear before the police.

On Saturday when Sohini went to the police station and submitted her degree along with her Aadhar Card and Vakalatnama, the officers verified its credibility.

"Her documents and license to practice law turned out to be fake. We have now contacted the bar council of Maharashtra and Goa to inform them about the fraud," a police official said.

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The complaint against Sohini was filed by a lawyer Akbarali Mohammed Khan (44) who stays in Borivli. He claimed that Sohini was not a lawyer and had been practicing for decades in the family and other courts of Mumbai.

The BKC police arrested Sohini and produced her before the Bandra holiday court on Sunday.

"The accused woman studied second-year law at Government Law College in 1977. She doesn't have a valid degree even after, she was practicing in various courts in Mumbai including family and session court. One year ago, I came to know about her fake identity. Since then, I was following her," said Khan.

"I studied the law by driving an auto rickshaw and after a lot of hard work become an advocate.

Such fake people are defaming the profession of advocacy. This is the responsibility of the Bar Council. They should be verifying lawyers registered with the Bar Council from time to time," Khan added.

"We have arrested the accused woman and produced her before the court. The court has remanded her in police custody till September 20," said another officer from BKC.