Gujarat man operates fake court, disposes off hundreds of cases

Morris Christian was arrested in Gujarat for operating a fake arbitration tribunal without a valid law practice licence. He fraudulently passed orders to seize land worth over Rs 100 crore. Despite past contempt proceedings and a jail term, he continued his illegal activities. The civil court has now called for an FIR against him and his associates under several sections including cheating and criminal conspiracy.

A man named Morris Christian has been arrested for having a court of his own in Gujarat. He was taken into custody after local court’s directive for running a fake arbitration tribunal in Gandhinagar,

Investigations have revealed that he does not have a valid licence to practise law.

The civil court ordered an FIR against Christian and his associates when one an order involving Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s land (AMC) land was challenged. The court found that Morris had passed the order in favour of claimants to usurp the land worth over Rs 100 crore. The court termed the order of the fake tribunal “void ab initio” and “not enforceable” as Morris had appointed himself an arbitrator without authority and passed the fraudulent order.

This is not the first time Christian has been caught. He was in jail for three months in 2007 for the same offence. “Morris claimed he had a degree from some international law university and a licence from ‘International Bar Council’. He practised in different courts by forging certificates and degrees. No such council existed,” Anil Kella, advocate and chairman of Bar Council of Gujarat’s finance committee, said.

People had been challenging his order orders and awards as an arbitrator for the last five years and he had been in the eye of the local courts.

Despite contempt proceedings, Morris was undeterred
Gujarat High Court had stayed several decrees in the past. He even faced contempt proceedings, and the district collector had sealed his office -made to look like a court of law -some years ago.