In a move that lays bare the high cost of betrayal behind the courtroom curtains, the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG) has suspended Advocate Ranjeeta Vengurlekar for two years. Her crime? Charging a client ₹80,000 under the pretense of a court fee—then furnishing a fake receipt to make it look official.
The Disciplinary Committee, unimpressed by the charade, slapped a ₹25,000 compensation order in favor of the duped client, Abhijeet Jagannath Zadokar. Vengurlekar now has one month from the date of receiving notice to cough up the sum.
Zadokar’s complaint painted a grim picture: ₹1.5 lakh allegedly paid for legal services, but what he got in return was a forged fee receipt and, according to him, financial damage worth ₹21 lakh. He didn’t just complain—he brought receipts. Literally. WhatsApp chats, bank transaction records, and communication with the police—all laid before the Bar Council.
While Vengurlekar denied wrongdoing, claiming ₹80,000 was a legitimate court fee and ₹50,000 was her legal fee, she didn’t appear at the disciplinary hearings. Neither did her counsel. The evidence, unchallenged, was treated as gospel.
“Receipt of Court Fee Stamp of ₹80,000 is bogus,” the Council noted, adding that the supporting affidavit and digital evidence carried sufficient weight to prove misconduct.
The verdict: a two-year professional blackout and a bruising hit to her credibility.
