A mother of two has been found guilty of forging the signature of a tycoon who died in 2018 to obtain a marriage certificate with plans to take over a multimillion-shilling estate.
Ms Marilyn Mercy Wanjiru was found guilty last month of forging the papers between her and Kwanwaljit Singh Chadda, who died of a heart attack intestate.
Christopher Mutira of International Pentecostal Holiness Church Africa, based in Nairobi’s Ngara Estate, has also been implicated in the matter after claiming that he solemnised the marriage between Wanjiru and Chadda.
Other than a house in Ngara, where Mr Chadda lived, Ms Wanjiru listed other properties including a motor vehicle, two plots in Nairobi, a 7.5 acres parcel of land in Shimoni, Kwale County and Treasury bonds held at Absa Bank.
She has also listed shares in Britam, Co-op Bank, Diamond Trust Bank, Housing Finance Company of Kenya, KCB Bank, Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), Safaricom, Total Kenya, Old Mutual and Absa, which was worth Sh5 million as at December 2018.
The family of Mr Chadda led by his brother Parminder Singh claim that their kin was not married and never had a girlfriend.
Milimani principal magistrate B M Ekhubi ruled that the marriage certificate was forged for certain benefits and the woman and the man of the clothe had a motive and an opportunity by presenting forged documents to the Registrar of Marriages.
“I find the evidence evaluated cumulatively with emphasis on the highlighted part of the evidence and from the law, the prosecution has established beyond an iota of doubt that the deceased did not sign the certificate of marriage and as such, it was a forgery,” ruled the magistrate.
The magistrate said Ms Wanjiru was pursuing a succession case, pending before the High Court, involving the estate of Mr Chadda and the certificate would strengthen her case.
The woman already petitioned to be granted letters to administer the estate of Mr Chadda but Mr Parminder challenged it and also filed a complaint at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the forged certificate.
Ms Wanjiru listed her son and daughter aged 28 and 26 years, respectively and her as surviving beneficiaries of the estate and that he died aged 76 without a will.
Mr Parminder had in 2019 asked the court to compel Ms Wanjiru to deposit all the money she allegedly collected from Mr Chadda’s properties in court.
The application was, however, rejected by Justice Stella Mutuku in a ruling made on November 23, 2021.
Ms Wanjiru claimed he first met Chadda in 1989 at Parklands when she was 19 years.
They parted ways and later reunited in 1999 and started cohabiting in 2013 until his death. BY DAILY NATION