Lawyer dupes Ahmedabad woman of ₹40 lakh under pretence of bailing out husband in NDPS case

A woman lawyer has allegedly duped another woman under the pretence of helping secure bail for her husband, who was arrested in an NDPS case.

Hiral (name changed), a resident of Krushnanagar, was seeking help to bail out her husband, who was arrested on October 21, 2023, in an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case by the Central Bureau of Narcotics.

Seeking help to get her husband out of jail, Hiral met Meghna Dave, a lawyer and resident of Ranip.    

Dave assured Hiral that she would get her husband out within a month. She also claimed that her husband, Mehul, worked in the Delhi Crime Branch.

Dave told Hiral that Mehul would help obtain the case papers and assist with court proceedings.

Trusting Dave, Hiral made payments in installments between November 1, 2023, and April 16, 2024, totaling ₹40.46 lakh. During this period, Dave introduced her husband Mehul to Hiral, and he even allegedly showed her his ID to gain her trust.

Dave also reportedly showed Hiral a copy of the charge sheet on her phone, claiming it had been filed.

However, it was later discovered that Dave had not initiated any legal proceedings in the case and no documents were prepared.

According to Ranip Police, the accused is currently absconding, and the police have requested her lawyer credentials from the Gujarat Bar Association for verification as part of their investigation.