A sessions court on Saturday directed the police not to take any coercive action temporarily against NCP leader Nawab Malik’s son and daughter-in-law, a French national, in a case of securing a forged marriage certificate.
The direction came on an anticipatory bail application filed by son Faraz Malik, 42, and his wife Laura Hamelin, 33, before a sessions court. They claimed that they are victims of a fraud by the agent and have nothing to do with the forgery offence.
The couple stated in their plea that in end-2018, Hamelin needed a marriage certificate due to personal reasons and received advice from other expats of the city that she can procure a marriage certificate by using the services of an agency. Their staff found details from the civic body, completed formalities and provided them with the marriage certificate processed by the BMC and an agent named Vijay.
Couple Claim Agent Duped Them
They said they found that an FIR had been registered against them at Kurla police station contending that the document was forged. Their staff explained to them that he had been introduced to an agent by someone at the BMC’s ward office and that the agency had offered to get the work done at a fee of ₹3,000.
The couple annexed with their plea the WhatsApp conversation of their staff with the agent. They said they later found that the agent had a criminal case against him for selling fabricated marriage, birth, death and other certificates and was on bail.
The couple said they are ready to cooperate with the police, that they are parents to young children and that their arrest would have serious ramifications on the children’s emotional health as well as cause social stigma. The court will hear the matter on Monday.
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