Signature Switch Scandal: Estranged Wife Alleges Husband's Vakalatnama Forgery In High-Profile Case

A top Mumbai Police official was instructed by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday to determine "Through an appropriate investigating agency"  whether an accused person's signature on a Vakalatnama "Is genuine or is forged," Given that the accused person cannot be located.

A "Vakalatnama" is a formal document signed by the petitioner that gives a lawyer permission to represent a client in Court.

The Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) was instructed to file an affidavit in relation to the case by the bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Dr. Neela Gokhale, who were hearing a petition filed by an accused person seeking the quashing of an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498A (husband subjecting a woman to cruelty), 504
(intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Through her attorneys, Mayuri Hatle and Mandar Surve, the estranged wife filed the first formal complaint (FIR), claiming that her husband, who is stationed in Dublin, Ireland, has been missing from the date the crime was reported.

The husband was discovered to be running away from the date the incident was reported, according to a police station representative who attended the Court proceedings. The bench discovered, however, that the police had made no attempt to locate the accused husband when it reviewed the case diary.

"The Case Diary is absolutely silent on the said aspect and therefore inference can be drawn that, the Investigating Officer is not diligent in investigating the crime," the Court stated.

The wife's advocates immediately claimed that there was a difference in the signatures on the Vakalatnama and the husband's passport. The Mumbai police will need to inquire about the signatures due to this matter.

On October 9, the petition will be heard again by the Court.

Author:
Aarya Kadam (News Writer) is a final-year BBA student and a creative writer with a passion for current affairs and legal Judgments.