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2022 Supreme(Bom) 289

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
S.J. KATHAWALLA, MILIND N. JADHAV, JJ.
Samina Arif Khan alias Dhanlaxmi Chandrakant Devrukhkar – Appellant
Versus
The Town Planning/Land Acquisition Officer, Mumbai – Respondent
Intervention Application (St) No. 18348 of 2021, Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021, Suo-Motu Contempt Petition No. 1 of 2021, Ordinary Original Civil Jurisdiction Interim Application (L) No. 23929 of 2021, Commercial Appeal (L) No. 23906 of 2021, Interim Application (L) No. 23015 of 2021, Execution Application (L) No. 19230 of 2021, Commercial Arbitration Petition No. 20 of 2020
Decided On : 18-02-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellants : Mr. Ashok Dhanuka, Mr. Aiqan Memon, Mr. Rohan Barge, Mrs. S.D. Vyas, Mrs. Aruna Pai, Mr. D.P. Singh, Mr. Sarif S. Khan, Mr. Mohd. Muqim Khan, Mr. Somnath Anchan, Dr. Birendra Saraf, Mr. Karl Tamboly, Mr. Satchit Bhogle, Mr. Khan Javed Akhtar.
For the Respondents: Mr. Sharan Jagtiani, Ms. Surabhi Agrawal, Mr. Kashish Mainkar, Ms. Treesa Ann Benny, Mr. D.N. Kher, Mr. A.B. Malwankar, Mr. Nausher Kohli, Mr. Akash Agarwal.

Headnote:

FRAUD - Notary Misconduct - Notaries Act, 1952, Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 - The court dealt with a case involving fraudulent filing of a Writ Petition without the consent of the petitioner, and subsequent misconduct by the notary and advocates involved. The court found the notary and advocates guilty of unprofessional conduct and issued show cause notices for contempt of court. The court accepted unconditional apologies from the notary and advocates, and directed them to pay fines to the State Legal Services Authority. The court also made recommendations for amendments to the Notaries Act, 1952 and the Rules to prevent such misconduct in the future.

Fact of the Case:

The case involved the fraudulent filing of a Writ Petition without the petitioner's consent, followed by misconduct by the notary and advocates involved.

Finding of the Court:

The court found the notary and advocates guilty of unprofessional conduct and issued show cause notices for contempt of court. The court accepted unconditional apologies from the notary and advocates, and directed them to pay fines to the State Legal Services Authority.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the notary and advocates were guilty of unprofessional conduct and contempt of court, and accepted their unconditional apologies. The court also made recommendations for amendments to the Notaries Act, 1952 and the Rules to prevent such misconduct in the future.

Final Decision: Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021, Intervention Application (St) No. 18348 of 2021, and Suo-Motu Contempt Petition No. 1 of 2021 were disposed off. Commercial Appeal (L) No. 23906 of 2021 along with Interim Applications taken out therein also stand disposed off.

JUDGMENT :

S.J. KATHAWALLA, J.

1. In Intervention Application (ST) No. 18348 of 2021 taken out in Civil Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021, a Praecipe dated 29th September, 2021 was received from Advocate Shri A.R.Dhanuka on behalf of the Applicant-Samina Arif Khan @ Dhanlaxmi Chandrakant Devrukhkar (‘Samina’) to place the Intervention Application for urgent hearing and orders since according to Samina, Advocate Shri Rohan Barge and Notary-Shri S.M.Naqvi alongwith an unknown person have filed Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021 before this Court in the name of Samina, seeking reliefs against the Town Planning/Land Acquisition Officer, Malad and Others, without her consent, knowledge and authority, thereby committing offences of cheating, fraud, impersonation and forgery against her and also this Court.

2. In view of the serious allegations made by Samina, the captioned Intervention Application along with Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021 were placed on Board before this Court on 4th October, 2021. On that day, the Advocate representing-Samina reiterated that Samina had not given any instructions to Advocate Rohan Barge to file the captioned Writ Petition. It was also submitted that after Samina’s Advocate obtained a certified copy of Writ Petition No. 4947 of 2021 filed in her name by Advocate Rohan Barge, she noted that the signature after the prayer clause and under the verification clause at pages 11 and 12 respectively of the Writ Petition, are not hers. We therefore passed an Order directing Advocate Rohan Barge to remain present before us on the same day at 2.30 p.m. Since Advocate Rohan Barge was not present at 2.30 p.m. we directed him to remain present in Court on 5th October, 2021, at 2.30 p.m.

3. On 5th October, 2021 Advocate Rohan Barge was present before this Court along with one Mr. R.L. Agawane, a registered clerk and one Shri Sandeep S. Dharne. An Affidavit of Shri Sandeep Dharne was tendered in Court. In the said Affidavit, which was admittedly drafted by Advocate Rohan Barge, it was stated that in the month of January, 2020, Shri Dharne had approached the Registered Clerk Shri Agawane, who introduced him to Advocate Rohan Barge for filing the above Writ Petition before this Court; that in the meeting with Advocate Rohan Barge, Shri Dharne had appraised him of all the facts in the matter, including the fact that Shri Dharne had with him the Power of Attorney executed in his favour by Samina in the year 2005; that he (Shri Dharne) had contacted Samina and sought her confirmation to file the captioned Writ Petition before this Court; that after the said Writ Petition was drafted by Advocate Barge, Shri Agawane, Registered Clerk, called Mr. Dharne “for presenting the client before the High Court for Notary purpose.” Shri Agawane thereupon read over the contents of the Writ Petition and the said Writ Petition was handed over to him (Shri Dharne) by Shri Agawane “for notary purpose for identification” that since Samina was hospitalised, Shri Dharne signed the Writ Petition on her behalf and the said fact was not disclosed to Advocate Barge or Shri Agawane; that he was having power of attorney of Samina “for filing all documents in Revenue Departments and Government purposes and also for attending all Courts of Law” that he inadvertently signed the Writ Petition on behalf of Samina; that Samina has filed the above Writ Petition recording the facts which are incorrect only because she has not paid the legal fees for the matter which Shri Dharane attended on her behalf in revenue court’s and therefore “he do not have prime role in the Writ Petition.”

4. We therefore, asked Shri Dharne to produce the original Power of Attorney, or a copy thereof executed by Samina in his favour. He informed the Court that he is not having the original or the copy of the same “at present.” However, he admitted that under the said Power of Attorney which was executed by Samina in his favour, he was to represent Samina only in revenue matters and was not

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