Former Rajya Sabha MP Akhtar Rizvi’s daughter-in-law’s brother has been granted anticipatory bail by the sessions court for allegedly forging digital signatures of Mr. Rizvi and his daughter. Mr. Rizvi is also a Nationalist Congress Party leader and builder.
Suspicious email
On February 16, Mr. Rizvi’s personal assistant Shahbaz told him he had received an email from the Income Tax Department that said, “Your Digital Signature Certificate is updated successfully.” He immediately called Ganpati Hegde, his family accountant, and asked him about the email. Mr. Hegde said he did not know anything about it.
Mr. Hegde logged into incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and typed the password into the IT Department’s e-file account, which was not accepted. He then logged into Mr. Rizvi’s daughter Reshma’s e-filing account, which is linked to Mr. Hegde’s account, and found that her password had also been changed.
Mr. Rizvi then realised that someone had hacked into their account and changed both the passwords. He registered a first information report at Bandra Police Station.
The FIR was registered under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 66 (c) (fraudulently or dishonestly make use of the electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature of any other person) and 66 (d) (by means of any communication device or computer resource by personating) of the Information Technology Act.
Accountant arrested
The police arrested the chartered accountant of Narendra Nasta, the brother of Mr. Rizvi’s daughter-in-law, in connection with the fraud. “Soon thereafter, Mr. Nasta received a notice from the police to appear at the police station for investigation,” a police officer said. Apprehending arrest, Mr. Nasta filed for anticipatory bail.
On September 3, Judge Nandkishor More granted Mr. Nasta bail on furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 lakh. The court said he shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case to dissuade him from disclosing them to the court or the police.
Advocate Hrishikesh Mundargi, appearing for Mr. Nasta, confirmed that his client had been granted anticipatory bail.