The Khar police have registered a case of cheating against a man who allegedly defrauded educationist and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Akthar Hasan Rizvi of ₹52 lakh by pretending to be a lawyer. According to a Hindustan Times report, the accused, identified as Sameer Bhogani, reportedly offered to represent Rizvi in multiple legal matters but failed to do so, and later threatened to reveal confidential information if the remaining sum of ₹28 lakh was demanded.
Rizvi, who is the founder of Mumbai’s Rizvi Education Society, stated that Bhogani returned ₹24 lakh but withheld the balance, claiming that he would hand over confidential documents only if Rizvi waived the remaining amount. Bhogani further demanded an additional ₹15 lakh to return the couple's original documents.
Rizvi told police that Bhogani, introduced to him in 2011, claimed to be a well-known lawyer and provided a fake certificate from the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. Trusting him, Rizvi handed over important documents related to his legal cases, as well as ₹52 lakh as legal fees. However, Bhogani never filed a legal reply or appeared in court on Rizvi’s behalf, nor did he submit the Vakalatnama authorizing him to represent Rizvi.
Suspecting fraud, Rizvi had a letter sent to the Bar Council by his friend’s lawyer son, which confirmed that Bhogani was not a registered lawyer. Rizvi then demanded his money back, leading Bhogani to return ₹24 lakh with a promise to repay the rest by July 2023. Instead, Bhogani threatened Rizvi’s wife, stating he would leak sensitive information to their opponents if they pursued the remaining sum.
An FIR was filed against Bhogani on October 15 following a Bandra court order. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Dikshit Gedam.