In a startling revelation, Ahmedabad police have uncovered a fraudulent operation where a man impersonated a judge and ran a bogus court to deceive individuals involved in legal disputes. Morris Samuel Christian, the mastermind behind this elaborate scam, was apprehended on Monday, following a complaint by the registrar of the city civil court.
Operating out of a meticulously designed office in Gandhinagar, Christian created a convincing facade of a judicial environment, complete with court staff and legal proceedings. Since at least 2019, he has been masquerading as the presiding officer of an arbitral tribunal he claimed was sanctioned by a competent court to settle disputes, particularly those involving government land.
The Ahmedabad city police stated that Christian would target individuals with pending land disputes at the city civil court. By posing as a court-appointed arbitrator, he lured clients into believing he had the authority to resolve their cases. Clients were charged a fee for his ‘services’, whereupon he would conduct fake court sessions and issue favorable rulings.
Christian’s deceit was brought to light after he issued an order in 2019, instructing the district collector to alter revenue records for a plot in the Paldi area—a directive based on no legal or authoritative grounding. His fraudulent activities extended to the point where he even filed an appeal in the city civil court using the bogus order he had generated.
He has been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those for impersonation and pretending to hold a public office. This arrest follows a previous complaint lodged against Christian in 2015 for similar offenses.
The exposure of this fake court has alarmed authorities and citizens alike, underscoring the audacity of con artists who exploit the judicial system for personal gain. The police continue to investigate the extent of this fraud and are working to identify and support all affected parties.
