LI Network
Published on: 29 January, 2024 at 12:52 IST
The Bombay High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of cheating multiple women by marrying at least five times.
In the case of Shantilal Yashwant Kharat v State of Maharashtra, Justice Sarang V Kotwal ruled that there was substantial evidence indicating the accused’s involvement in cheating numerous women, making it unsuitable for anticipatory bail.
Shantilal Yashwant Kharat sought anticipatory bail in a case filed by Raigad police based on a complaint lodged by one of his wives. According to the complainant, she met Kharat through a matrimonial site in April 2022, and they married two months later.
After the marriage, Kharat allegedly sought financial assistance from her, taking a loan of ₹32 lakhs by pledging her ornaments. Suspecting an affair, the complainant returned to her parental house in January 2023 and discovered Kharat had married four times before her and concealed this information.
While Kharat claimed to have only married the complainant, the court examined documents provided by the police, revealing that he had married other women and fathered two children. Birth certificates from 2009 identified Kharat as the father of two girls with different mothers.
Additionally, divorce proceedings in 2008 and 2018 involving the accused were found. The court concluded that Kharat had concealed this information, establishing the offense of cheating, among other charges, and denied anticipatory bail.
The Court emphasized the concealment of vital information as a key factor in rejecting the anticipatory bail plea.