According to Badnagar Police Station in-charge Ashok Kumar Patidar, the fraud came to light after Yogesh Thakur, a reader at the District and Sessions Court, filed a complaint on November 10. Verification revealed that receipts submitted by Joshi were falsified, and the court fees actually deposited were significantly lower than the recorded amounts. Police also discovered that Joshi’s law license was registered under another person’s name.
Investigators said the accused altered online court fee receipts issued through the High Court’s authorized payment portal. In several cases, he reportedly deposited ₹10,000 but modified the receipt to reflect Rs1 lakh. His personal mobile number and email ID were used for all transactions, ensuring that OTP verifications were received on his own device—helping him conceal the fraud for years.
The irregularities surfaced on November 15, when a Rs2.80 lakh court fee receipt submitted by Joshi was found to be fake during a hearing. When questioned, Joshi admitted to the forgery and immediately paid the actual amount to the court.
Following the discovery, the court ordered a review of all his pending and past case files. A subsequent audit confirmed widespread tampering of receipts. Acting on the findings, police registered an FIR against Joshi for forgery, cheating, and misuse of official documents.
Authorities said further investigation is underway to determine if more cases were affected or if others were complicit in the fraud.
