Supreme Court grants bail to woman accused of cheating people by posing as lawyer

The Supreme Court recently granted bail to a woman booked for cheating several people by falsely claiming to be a practising advocate [Poonam Charandas Khanna vs. State of Maharashtra].

A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the appeal filed by the accused woman, who has been in custody since January 2024 in connection with a cheating case registered in Mumbai.

The case arose from a first information report (FIR) registered in February 2020 at the Kherwadi Police Station in Mumbai.

The police booked the woman for offences under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that she misrepresented herself as a lawyer and took money from several persons on the promise of providing legal assistance.

According to the prosecution, the accused was not enrolled as an advocate but projected herself as one. On that basis, people paid her substantial amounts as professional fees believing she would secure legal relief for them.

After her arrest in January 2024, the woman sought regular bail. The Bombay High Court rejected her bail application in December 2025, prompting her to approach the Supreme Court.

Before the Supreme Court, her counsel argued that she was nearly 60 years old and had already spent over two years in jail.

The Bench noted that the woman had already undergone substantial incarceration, that the trial was at an advanced stage, and that the offences alleged did not carry punishment beyond seven years. In these circumstances, the Court held that continued detention was not necessary.

The woman was represented by advocates Prastut Mahesh Dalvi, Pranay Saraf and Vidhi Pankaj Thaker.

The respondents were represented by advocates Varad Kilor, Siddharth Dharmadhikari, Aaditya Aniruddha Pande, Shrirang B Varma, Shibu Devasia Olickal and K Gireesh Kumar.

[Read Order]