Bombay HC orders probe, bail revoked

In a shocking case of judicial fraud, an accused in a corporate forgery case secured bail using a fabricated court order with a forged judge’s signature. The Bombay High Court, upon discovering the fraud, revoked the bail and ordered a high-level investigation.

Case Background

The case involves CTR Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., a Pune-based company, which filed a complaint in 2022 after discovering that its patented technical designs had been misused by Chennai-based Easun-MR Pvt. Ltd. Investigations revealed that some CTR employees had colluded with Easun-MR officials in the unauthorized use of these proprietary designs. One of the accused, Haribhau Chemte, worked in CTR’s quality control department between 2016 and 2017. Police allege he was involved in the theft of design documents, leading to his name being added to the list of accused in the case. The Vimantal Police in Pune registered a case in 2022 on charges of forgery and copyright violation. Including other accused Ravikumar Ramaswamy, Haribhau Chemte, and three former CTR employees were arrested.

Fraudulent bail order

Chemte, whose anticipatory bail application was pending before the Bombay High Court, allegedly hatched a conspiracy to secure bail fraudulently. According to police, he forged a court order under Section 169 of the CrPC, bearing the fake signature of a Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Judge Vahida Makandar , and submitted the fraudulent handwritten order. As a result, Chemte was granted anticipatory bail on December 13 2024. However, the complainant in the original forgery case flagged discrepancies in the order, leading to a review by the Bombay High Court. Upon investigation, the Bombay HC revoked the bail and initiated an inquiry into the fraud. And

Forgery Uncovered

The fraud was exposed when CTR’s legal team obtained a certified copy of the original court ruling and found discrepancies. Judge Vahida Makandar confirmed that her signature and ruling had been falsified. CTR immediately approached the Bombay High Court, which conducted an urgent review and directed police to investigate the case.

Legal action & investigation

Following the revelations, an FIR has been registered at Vimantal Police Station, Pune, under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 337, 339, 340, 246, and 318. Authorities are investigating whether legal professionals or court staff were involved. Police are also searching for absconding accused Haribhau Chemte.

Financial Impact & Legal Implications

Officials from CTR stated that Easun-MR made significant profits from the stolen designs, while CTR suffered losses exceeding Rs 300 crore. The case has highlighted serious concerns about judicial document security, prompting calls for stricter verification mechanisms to prevent such fraud in the future.

"We strongly urge the police to arrest the accused as soon as possible. Their fraudulent actions not only harmed our company but also misled the judiciary. With the truth now exposed, our reputation is restored. Justice must prevail to prevent such crimes in the future." — Official CTR said.