Court temporarily halts proceedings of ShSh3.9m fraud case

Bhavik Chandrakat S Dodhia at Kakamega Central Police Station, on September 16, 2025. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

Kakamega Law Courts has temporarily suspended the proceedings of a case where an Indian man has been charged with allegedly defrauding a businessman of Sh3.9 million.

Principal Magistrate James Masiga, on Monday ordered a stay of proceedings until September 23, 2025.

“Proceedings of this court stayed until September 23, 2025. Mention on September 25, 2025. File will be placed before the High Court on September 23, 2025,” said Masiga.

Bhavik Chandrakat S.Dodhia had been released on a Sh4 million bond or Sh2 million cash bail after being arraigned for obtaining money by false pretence on Wednesday.

The accused had denied all five counts of obtaining money and issuing fake cheques before Senior Principal Magistrate Zacharia Nyakundi.

Aggrieved by the court's bond terms, Dodhia moved to another court on September 11, 2025.

According to the letter seen by the Standard, he had requested for review of the cash bail.

“Kindly review for me my cash bail from 2,000,000 to 300,000. I am unable to raise the amount, and I am ill and need medication,” read the letter.

Principal Magistrate Masiga, upon considering the letter, revised the bond terms to Sh1 million and surety of a similar amount or cash bail of Sh300,000.

“Orders above reviewed P.O to issue for September 15, 2025, for consideration of bond terms,” he said.

Earlier, prosecutor Stella Adeny had made an application for strict bond terms against the accused since he was brought under warrant of arrest.

“We pray that the accused be granted strict bond since he is a flight risk and may jeopardise our investigation or drag the justice system by failing to adhere to court rules or may even fail to show up,” said Adeny.

She said that they do not trust the accused since he was arrested in Nairobi, and they do not know his permanent place of residence.

“We do not know where the accused comes from because at times he is in Kakamega and Nairobi, we do not know his permanent residence,” she said.

Adeny also prayed that the accused’s passport be deposited in court, as he is considered a flight risk.

“We pray that his passport be detained in court since he can escape because he failed to appear in court and was brought under warrant of arrest. He was arrested in Nairobi,” said Adeny.

She argued that the accused was scheduled to appear in court last week, but he failed to do so, which prompted a warrant of arrest to be issued.