Fake stamp paper scam accused notary finally behind bars

Fake stamp paper scam accused notary finally behind bars

Mangalore Today News Network

Sullia, April 25, 2014 : The police have finally arrested  BV Keshava Bhat Bheemaguli, advocate and notary of Panja in Sullia taluk who was wanted in a fake stamp paper scam case. The arrest was made on April 24, Thursday when Bhat was on way to an advocate’ s office with a plan to surrender before the court.

In fact the SP had to appear before the court on April 23, Wednesday  for the police department failure to ensure his arrest despite repeated summons from the court. At the court the SP had given an undertaking to arrest Bhat within two weeks. But ironically, he was arrested the very next day.

It is learnt, the police have been looking for him since long and he had gone underground ever since his bungling came to light. Even his bail petitions had been rejected in the High court as well as Supreme Court.

It was on June 16, 2011 that a criminal case was registered against him  in Subrahmanya police station on the basis of a complaint filed by a  person named Manjulagiri Timmappaiah from Kutkunja village  who was cheated by Bhat by providing him  fake stamp papers  for a sale agreement and general power of attorney as a Maruti Ritz car which he had bought from Mahesh Kumar from Karikkala in 2011 had an outstanding loan. It is learnt, though Keshava Bhat collected Rs 1,500 as  a fee, the two stamp papers of face value Rs 200 each  which he used to prepare the documents were fake. It came to light when the papers were rejected by the bank manager. They were found to be fake even on verification  at sub-registrar’s office.

Though Bhat was arrested the same day, he was released on bail the same night. Police meanwhile had seized several fake notary seals, diary, fake rubber stamp  of Syndicate Bank Panja branch, fake seal of Panja Gram Panchayat and Panja Temple and 33 fake documents provided to Syndicate Bank and SCDCC Bank on behalf of various clients.

 Consequent upon his arrest on Thursday, Bhat was produced before the court and remanded to a day of judicial custody even though the police sought his custody. He is likely to be produced before the court again on April 25, Friday.

Even Bhat’s office assistant Tara Rai, her brother Deviprasad Rai and Bhat’s brother Subrahmanya are in judicial custody for helping him to  hide from the police. Even the then Sullia SI Sunil Kumar had been suspended  in connection with the case.