Mumbai, May 6 (PTI) A sessions court here has granted interim protection from arrest to cardiologist Dr Lekha Pathak, accused of cheating and forgery for allegedly drawing pension as “widow” of former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ramrao Adik.
The case was registered against the 79-year-old Mumbai resident by the Marine Drive police in March following directions from a magistrate court.
The complaint was filed by advocate Prithviraj Adik, son of the late deputy CM, who alleged that Dr. Pathak falsely claimed to be his father’s widow and has been receiving his pension since his death in August 2007, despite never being legally married to him.
During the hearing of the anticipatory bail application before Additional Sessions Judge V G Raghuwanshi, the prosecution sought time to respond. The court granted time, directing the police not to take coercive action until the next hearing on June 12.
In her plea, Dr. Pathak called the FIR “absurd and preposterous” and claimed that Ramrao Adik divorced his first wife, Shobha Adik (the complainant’s mother), in 1989, and later married her in 1995 as per Hindu rituals at Birla Temple, Delhi. They lived together as husband and wife until his death (in 2007).
The plea also referenced testamentary proceedings initiated by Shobha Adik after Ramrao’s death, which resulted in a 2008 mutual settlement involving all parties, including the complainant.
The agreement, Dr. Pathak argues, acknowledged her status as Adik’s wife and her entitlement to the family pension.
The plea also refers to matters relating to the family pension being paid to Pathak, being the widow of a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) since 2008 to date.
The plea claimed that the compromise decree agreed by the consenting parties is binding upon them.
“Therefore, now it is not open to revisit the issue of validity of Lekha Pathak’s status as wife of Ramrao Adik or her entitlement to receive the family pension,” the plea stated.
Dr Pathak stated that the complainant adopted criminal proceedings after “having failed to extort money and property” from her in testamentary proceedings.
She alleged the complainant has suppressed various material documents and facts from the magistrate court while seeking an order directing police to register a case in the alleged crime. PTI AVI NSK
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