Arbitrator arrested for running a fake court in Gujarat

Fake court: Cops said Morris Samuel Christian, 37, was detained following an inquiry into an FIR registered by the city civil court registrar.

A 37-year-old man, Morris Samuel Christian, was arrested by Ahmedabad police on Monday for allegedly operating a fake court in Gujarat five years ago.

Christian, a resident of Gandhinagar, posed as the presiding officer of the fake court and issued rulings in favor of individuals who paid him for favorable outcomes.

The arrest followed an investigation into a first information report (FIR) filed by Hardik Desai, registrar of the city civil court in Ahmedabad. Desai’s complaint was lodged under orders from Judge JL Chovatia of the city civil and sessions court.

The Fraudulent Tribunal

Christian set up the tribunal in Vasna, Gandhinagar, in 2019, where he acted as an arbitrator and issued a claim award in favor of his client, Chandaji Thakor, attempting to transfer government land into private hands.

The scam was uncovered when Christian’s fraudulent order was submitted to the city civil court at Bhadra in Ahmedabad for execution, prompting authorities to investigate its legitimacy.

Deceptive Operations

According to police, Christian targeted individuals involved in land disputes pending in court, convincing them to pay fees for resolving their cases. He set up a “courtroom-like” office in Vasna, Gandhinagar, where his accomplices posed as court staff and lawyers, while Christian acted as a judge.

Through fabricated proceedings, he prepared fake arbitration orders, transferring valuable government land to private parties.

This case highlights the lengths to which fraudsters can go to deceive people, including creating entire mock judicial setups. Christian now faces legal consequences for his elaborate scam.