Four Bombay High Court staff held for siphoning off fees of government lawyer

The Azad Maidan Police have arrested four staff members of the Bombay High Court for allegedly siphoning off professional fees of a woman assistant government pleader.

The victim, Aparna Vhatkar, had lodged a complaint in January after she did not receive her fees. The arrested four have been identified as Sameer Topale (clerk), Sanjay Dhumak (clerk), Digambar Jambhule (superintendent), and Nagnath Yadhav (peon), all attached with the HC appellate side (Writ cell).

Vhatkar would receive soliciting fees for handling certain cases. The complainant's fees amounting to Rs 56,959 was pending since December 2017 and Vhatkar was following it with the court's Writ cell. She was then informed that the payment had been transferred to her bank account. When she initiated an inquiry with the bank, it was found that the name and account details of the Sameer Topale were put against her's.

"The complaint was then lodged with us and we initiated the probe. During the investigation, we found the involvement of all four. The probe has revealed that the accused have three other accomplices," said a police officer.