Sullia : The Sullia police on April 24, Thursday, have successfully arrested BV Keshava Bhat Bheemaguli, an advocate and notary of Panja in Sullia was wanted in printing fake stamp paper scam case.

It is learnt that, the police was in search of Bhat, who had gone underground ever since his bungling came to light, was coming to surrender before the court, when he was taken into custody.

Since Bhat’s bail applications was rejected by both the state high court and the Supreme Court in the past, was left with no option but to surrender.
It is recalled that, the failure of police department to arrest Bhat, even after giving a repeated summons, the curt asked Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police to appear in the high court on Wednesday and ordered to arrest Bhat within two weeks.

The criminal case was charged against Bhat in Subrahmanya police station on June 16, 2011 as per the complaint filed by a person named Manjulagiri Timmappaiah from Kutkunja village. The later said that Bhat had cheated him by providing a fake stamp papers for a sale agreement and general power of attorney as a Maruti Ritz car which he had purchased from Mahesh Kumar from Karikkala in 2011, who had an outstanding loan.

Bhat had also collected the amount of Rs 1,500 as a fee for the fake stamp papers of face value Rs 200. The matter was brought into light, when the papers were rejected by the bank manager and was found fake on verification at sub-registrar’s office.

Although Bhat was arrested on Thursday, he was released on bail the same night. But Police had seized several fake notary seals, diary, fake rubber stamp of Syndicate Bank Panja branch, fake seal of Panja Gram Panchayat and Panja Temple and 33 fake documents provided to Syndicate Bank and SCDCC Bank on behalf of various clients.

Bhat was produced before the court and remanded to a day of judicial custody even though the police sought his custody. He will also be produced before the court again on April 25, Friday.

Police have also arrested Bhat’s office assistant Tara Rai, her brother Deviprasad Rai and Bhat’s brother Subrahmanya for helping him to escape from police.

In connection to the case, former Sullia SI Sunil Kumar was also been suspended.