By Wanja Waweru
A mother of two was found guilty of forging a businessman’s signature who passed away in 2018 in order to acquire a marriage license with the intention of inheriting a multimillion-shilling estate.
Last month, Ms. Marilyn Mercy Wanjiru was found responsible for fabricating the documents between her and Kwanwaljit Singh Chadda, who passed away from an untimely heart attack.
Christopher Mutira of the Nairobi-based International Pentecostal Holiness Church Africa, who asserts to have performed the marriage of Wanjiru and Chadda, has also been connected to the case.
Ms. Wanjiru listed additional assets in addition to the home Mr. Chadda owned in Ngara, including a car, two plots in Nairobi, a 7.5-acre piece of land in Shimoni, Kwale County, and Treasury bonds held at Absa Bank.
As of December 2018, she had stock listed 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, with a combined value of Sh5 million.
Mr. Chadda’s family, led by his sibling Parminder Singh, asserts that their ancestor was never wed and had a girlfriend.
Principal Magistrate B M Ekhubi of Milimani declared that the couple’s marriage certificate was forged for financial gain.
“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 judge stated that the certificate would support Ms. Wanjiru’s position in a succession dispute involving Mr. Chadda’s estate that was currently pending before the High Court.
The lady had already requested letters of administration for Mr. Chadda’s estate, but Mr. Parminder objected and reported the forgery to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
In addition to stating that he passed away at the age of 76 without leaving a will, Ms. Wanjiru named her son and daughter, who were each 28 and 26 years old, as the estate’s surviving beneficiaries.
In 2019, Mr. Parminder requested that Ms. Wanjiru deposit all of the money she was reportedly paid from Mr. Chadda’s properties in court.
The judge stated that the certificate would support Ms. Wanjiru’s position in a succession dispute involving Mr. Chadda’s estate that was currently pending before the High Court.
The lady had already requested letters of administration for Mr. Chadda’s estate, but Mr. Parminder objected and reported the forgery to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
In addition to stating that he passed away at the age of 76 without leaving a will, Ms. Wanjiru named her son and daughter, who were each 28 and 26 years old, as the estate’s surviving beneficiaries.
In 2019, Mr. Parminder requested that Ms. Wanjiru deposit all of the money she was reportedly paid from Mr. Chadda’s properties in court.
The application was, however, rejected by Justice Stella Mutuku in a ruling made on November 23, 2021.
