14-Kanal Property Deal Under Scanner Over Alleged Forgery, Impersonation and Criminal Conspiracy
Srinagar, Oct 29th :
Intensifying its crackdown on property-related economic offences, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K has filed a second chargesheet in a migrant land fraud case involving the alleged unlawful sale of 14 kanals and 3 marlas of land valued at over Rs 1 crore, naming five persons as accused.
As per an official handout, the chargesheet in FIR No. 34/2017, registered under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the RPC, has been presented before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sopore.
The case emanates from allegations that land measuring 14 kanals and 3 marlas, bearing Survey No. 349 at Mouza Wussan, Goshbugh, Pattan, and belonging to Jawahar Lal Bhat, was fraudulently offered for sale. The complainant alleged that more than Rs 1 crore was paid towards the transaction, but possession of the land was never transferred and the amount remained unrecovered.
Investigations allegedly unravelled a coordinated scheme involving impersonation, fabrication of identity documents and the purported exploitation of a Power of Attorney to execute the fraudulent transaction.
The accused named in the chargesheet are Brij Nath, son of Tara Chand, resident of Amit Nagar, Muthi, Jammu; Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar, son of Abdul Khaliq Dar, resident of Samson, Budgam; Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh, resident of Sachin Banit, Beerwah, Budgam; Zahoor Ahmed Dar, son of Ghulam Mohammad Dar, resident of Margipora, Pattan; and Reyaz Ahmad Rather, son of Mohammad Sultan Rather, also a resident of Margipora, Pattan, Baramulla.
According to the EOW, Brij Nath, who allegedly operated under the aliases Soom Nath, Hadi Nath and Mohan Lal, and Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar were arrested in late September. Dar has subsequently secured bail, while Brij Nath continues to remain lodged in Central Jail. Investigations into other cases involving the accused are also underway.
The prosecution follows an earlier chargesheet filed by EOW Srinagar in August 2023 in FIR No. 27/2021 against Brij Nath Bhat, son of late Tara Chand Bhat, and Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, indicating their alleged involvement in separate cases.
The SSP EOW Kashmir has cautioned the public against entering into property transactions without proper verification, urging buyers to meticulously scrutinise ownership documents, revenue records and other legal credentials to guard against fraudulent transfers and substantial financial losses.