Jalpaiguri, 29 August (H.S.): A man who allegedly failed to clear Class 8 was reportedly posing as a lawyer and allegedly cheating litigants at the Mathabhanga Sub-Divisional Court by wearing a lawyer’s attire. The incident came to light after complaints reached the local Bar Association. Lawyers caught the man and handed him over to the police on Friday.

The man has been identified as Abed Ali, who has been detained by police in connection with the incident.

According to the Mathabhanga Bar Association, Abed Ali would appear at the court premises wearing a white shirt, black trousers and a black coat, giving people the impression that he was a practising lawyer. He allegedly used the appearance to approach litigants, particularly those coming from rural areas, and collect money from them.

Lawyer Kaushik Bhadra, speaking on behalf of the Mathabhanga Bar Association, said the alleged fraud had recently come to their attention. He said such activities could not be tolerated within the court premises.

The lawyers reportedly caught Abed Ali on Friday and handed him over to personnel of Mathabhanga Police Station. Bhadra demanded appropriate action against anyone else found to be involved in similar activities.

Other lawyers said that because Abed Ali allegedly wore a lawyer’s attire, litigants from villages and rural areas often found it difficult to distinguish him from genuine advocates. He allegedly took advantage of this confusion to collect money from them.

The incident has also raised questions about how a person who allegedly did not clear Class 8 was able to move around the court premises for so long wearing a lawyer’s attire without being detected.

Police have detained Abed Ali and are investigating the allegations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey