The city police apprehended a 23-year-old man, Sharad Narwade, on Thursday for allegedly forging court documents to defraud individuals by issuing fraudulent notices demanding fines.
Narwade, hailing from Phulambri, was taken into custody after police traced a bank account associated with the scam. According to a court staff member, he had forged the signature and stamp of Principal District Judge Vibha Ingle on fake court notices. These notices, dated July 16, instructed recipients to either pay fines ranging from RS30,000 to Rs51,000 or appear in court, directing them to deposit the amounts into a specified bank account mentioned in the forged documents.
The scam came to light on September 23 when Vitthal Awhad, a local farmer, and his associates brought the notices to the District and Sessions Court in Aurangabad for verification. Senior court clerk Sheikh Rafiq Sheikh Kasam confirmed that there were no such orders in the court’s records, nor was there any pending case against Awhad and others as claimed in the forged notices. This prompted further investigation, which unveiled the fraudulent activity.
Vivek Sarosiya, the superintendent of Aurangabad District Court, lodged a complaint against Narwade upon discovering the misuse of the official letterhead and signature of the principal district judge.
Using the bank account information provided in the fraudulent notices, police tracked down Narwade. Police inspector Pravina Yadav noted that Narwade, a graduate in arts, previously operated a Setu Suvidha Kendra, a center facilitating various government services. His prior experience equipped him with knowledge of government document formats and the fonts used in judicial and government offices. After his center closed, Narwade sought quick financial gain, accessing the court’s website to copy the judge’s signature for creating the forged notices.
In a bid to evade capture, Narwade abandoned his cell phone and fled Phulambri, but police teams apprehended him early Thursday. Investigators suspect that Narwade may have defrauded numerous individuals using this method, and inquiries are ongoing to identify the victims.