In a significant ruling that underscores the seriousness of fabricating medical documents for legal gain, a local court in Ahmedabad has handed down three-year prison sentences to two individuals. The conviction stems from a brazen attempt to forge a Covid-19 positive report and submit it to the Gujarat High Court to secure an extension of temporary bail for an accused.
The Bail Extension Plot Based on a Fake Report
The case revolves around an accused named Vijay Tank, who was lodged in the Sabarmati Central Jail in connection with an offence registered with Gandhinagar's Infocity police. In February 2022, Tank was granted temporary bail. However, as the date for his surrender approached, he sought an extension, claiming he had contracted Covid-19. To support his application, he submitted a report purportedly issued by a leading pathology laboratory in Ahmedabad.
The High Court, exercising due diligence, directed the police to verify the authenticity of the medical document. The subsequent police investigation uncovered a well-orchestrated fraud. The Covid-19 report was found to be completely fabricated and had never been generated by the named laboratory.
Conspiracy Unraveled and Evidence Destroyed
Police probing the matter revealed that a conspiracy was hatched involving Tank, his wife Vinaben, and an accomplice named Prakash Kalani. Their objective was singular: to illegally secure an extension of Tank's bail. According to the case details, Kalani prepared the forged Covid certificate on his mobile phone. In a desperate attempt to obliterate the digital trail, he later threw the phone into the Sabarmati river to destroy the evidence.
Based on its inquiry, the police submitted a report recommending criminal prosecution against all three individuals. While Vinaben has not been arrested in this specific case, Tank and Kalani were placed on trial. The court found them guilty of multiple charges, including:
- Forgery of documents.
- Furnishing false evidence in court.
- Criminal conspiracy.
Court's Verdict and Consideration of Circumstances
While pronouncing the judgment, Chief Judicial Magistrate J A Bakshi considered the mitigating circumstances presented by the defence, particularly those related to Vijay Tank. The court noted that Tank has minor children and a wife suffering from cancer. Taking a balanced view, the magistrate stated that awarding a punishment less than the maximum prescribed would serve the interest of justice in this instance.
Consequently, the court sentenced both Vijay Tank and Prakash Kalani to three years of rigorous imprisonment. In addition to the jail term, each convict has been slapped with a fine of Rs 15,000. This ruling sends a strong message about the severe consequences of attempting to mislead the judiciary with fabricated evidence, especially during a public health crisis.
