My client’s cherished hobby was being an imposter, impersonator and a hoodwinker

9 min read.

This interesting happening occurred when I was at my last leg of the stint as a practising advocate of the superior courts in Lahore before coming back to the UK for good.

I returned to my chamber from the High Court, and my clerk told me that someone named Mr Miah rang up from a five-star hotel in the city. He earnestly wanted to engage me in his case and would like to discuss the matter at the hotel. He had tried to convince the potential client that it would be advisable for him to come to the chamber, and if it was urgent, he could give him an appointment the same day. The client insisted that he would appreciate if the advocate would see him in the hotel, and he would pay the fee for that too.

As the hotel was on my way home, I decided to see him the same day. I asked my junior lawyer to follow me in his car.

The hotel was just a few miles from my office. I mentioned his name at the reception, and we were given his suite number which was on the fifth floor.

We observed that outside his door there was a security man who was sitting on a chair. He was uniformed, but unarmed. On seeing us, he stood up and saluted us. I thought that the hotel management might have provided him full security- he must be somebody.

I knocked on the door, he opened it and welcomed us with a broad smile.

He was a tall and slightly obese person in his early thirties with slick back hair and pencil moustache. He seemed an affable and agreeable man.

He offered us coffee which we refused politely.

In velvety voice he stated baldly his legal problem:

“Doctor, I was given your number by a friend of mine. I’m grateful you could manage to come to see me at such a short notice. I’m in trouble and I’m sure you’ll be able to help me.

“I’m staying in this hotel for the last three weeks. They delivered me highly inflated bill for my stay here, which I strongly disputed. I made a reasonable offer to which they turned a deaf ear. I’ve now decided to renege upon my words. For the last three days, they’ve unlawfully detained me in this suite. They’re providing qualitative room service, but I can’t leave the suite, let alone the hotel. You must’ve have observed, they have stationed a 24-hour security guard. You know this is illegal.”

He concluded:

“I’m just at breaking point.”

Agreeing with him, I explained:

“This was a civil matter, and your cooping- up in this suite is illegal. The right of habeas corpus protects you.”

He agreed the fee which I mentioned to him. He said that someone would come to my office next morning to make the payment.

I suggested that I could file a petition before the High Court next morning, which could be fixed for the same day hearing. But it would be better if we applied for the hearing on the day- after- next. It would give the hotel management time to discuss the matter with their lawyer, who might advise them to concede the issue.

He agreed.

We left the room, the guard stood up and saluted us again.

I was not sure whether he would be able to pay my fee. But, as I had agreed to get his release from his detention in the hotel, I decided to proceed with the case even if it turned out to be the pro bono work.

Later in the evening I prepared the petition.

In the morning before I reached the office, someone had already paid the agreed fee.

The petition was filed before 10 am. It was fixed for the hearing at 8 am the following day. I arranged to send the copy by hand to the hotel manager.

Next morning before I set off for the office, I just rifled through the newspapers. In the most read paper, there was a scoop that the five-star hotel had imprisoned the guest illegally.

 Before the hearing, he was already a free man. I just sent my junior lawyer to appear before the Judge to withdraw the petition, because the respondents had already conceded the issue, and the petition had become infructuous.

Hardly two weeks had passed, he came to see me by appointment. He informed me that he had a hearing in another matter before the High Court in the capital’s twin city which was 35- minute travel by air. He would pay me air fare and if I wanted to leave one day earlier, he would do the hotel booking. I told him that I would prefer to go in the morning. I avoided staying in the hotel because it would be embarrassing if he did not pay the bill.

The question of the fee arose. Apologising, he said that he did not have cash with him. He had a Bank account in the twin-city. After the hearing, he would take me to the Bank to pay the full fee and the air travel costs.

I was not happy with the arrangement. By that time, he appeared to be a hardened cheat.  But, as he had fulfilled the promise to pay the fee on the previous occasion, I agreed, albeit hesitatingly.

He told me that I would be picked up at the airport, and after the court hearing he would take me to the Bank. Later, he said that he would be pleased if I accompanied him to a restaurant for lunch. After that he would drop me at the airport. I thanked him for the invitation but expressed my inability to stay for lunch.

At the airport there was a taxi-man displaying my name on a cardboard. At the court he welcomed me.

I appeared before the Judge and argued the matter. The case was decided in his favour. The same taxi-driver was still there outside the court. As planned, he took us to the Bank.

Guess what happened there. I will unfold it after a recount of the second limb of the titled story.

One Saturday afternoon, our house gate bell rang. I went out and a stout middle-aged man told me that ten days ago there was a man who had rented a car of the latest model from them. He did not pay the rent in advance. Instead, he showed them our house as his place of residence. The previous night when the business was closed, he left the car outside the showroom with the keys on the driver’s seat. He disappeared without paying a penny. The car was given with full fuel tank, which was nearly empty. The description he gave me of the man was convincingly that of my client.

The enquirer was all at sea when I told him that the man he was talking about must have made a spurious claim about residing in our house.

 I wondered how he got my address.

Before leaving, he fumed:

“I swear, If I see him again, I wouldn’t bother to take him to the police station. Instead, I would give him such a sound beating that he would never dare to cheat anyone in his lifetime.”

Coming back to the Bank visit, on seeing Mr Miah there was some commotion among the staff beyond the cashier’s counter. One or two staff members said little louder, but excitedly:

“Miah sahib is here”.

A few of them rose from their seats and came forward to shake hands with him. Someone rushed to the manager to inform him about the presence of Mr Miah. He came out to greet him. He ushered us in and asked a staff member to bring tea for us.

Immediately, the manager got cash for me. I issued the receipt. My client reiterated his lunch invitation, which I refused again with thanks. The same taxi-driver took me to the airport. I tried to pay him the fare, which he refused saying that he had already been paid by Miah sahib. He described him as a very generous man.

Thereafter, there were a few telephone calls from him.

He told me that he belonged to a good family, who were settled in the UK, but still had reasonable property and affiliations with the country of origin. He wanted to be a chartered accountant, but adopted the hobby of being an imposter, impersonator, and a hoodwinker. He enjoyed it.

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