Karamat Qayoom
Baramulla, July 12: In a development that has sent shockwaves through the judicial and revenue establishments of north Kashmir, Police Station Baramulla has registered FIR No. 99/2026 under Sections 61(2), 316(5), 318(4), 337, 339 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in connection with an alleged conspiracy involving the fabrication of fake court decrees and fraudulent issuance of certified judicial documents, allegedly used to facilitate the illegal transfer of Custodian property.
The FIR has been registered on a written complaint filed by Majid Farooq Mir, Sub-Judge (Judicial Magistrate), Baramulla, after a preliminary fact-finding inquiry reportedly unearthed prima facie evidence of criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating and abuse of official position in the preparation and issuance of forged certified copies of a judgment and decree in a civil case that allegedly never existed.
According to the complaint, the matter surfaced after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Baramulla, sought certified copies of the final judgment, decree, compromise and connected records in a civil suit purportedly titled *Rabia Rashid vs. Abida Malik, allegedly decided on January 22, 2021. However, when the request was forwarded to the District Record Room, officials reportedly failed to trace any judicial record relating to the said case despite extensive searches.
The complaint states that during verification, an ACB official produced photocopies of purported certified copies of the judgment and decree allegedly issued from the District Record Room on June 28, 2025, bearing the signatures of the Sub-Judge. The absence of the original judicial file and any corresponding court record raised serious doubts about the authenticity of the documents.Subsequently, the Sub-Judge informed the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla, who ordered a detailed fact-finding inquiry through the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Baramulla.
The inquiry reportedly concluded that fake certified copies of the judgment and decree had been fabricated and placed before the Sub-Judge for signatures by misleading him. It further observed that the alleged acts constituted fraud not only upon the judicial officer but also upon the institution of justice, compromising the sanctity of judicial records and public confidence in the judicial system.
Based on the inquiry report, the Principal District and Sessions Judge directed the Sub-Judge to lodge an FIR and inform the ACB that although the purported certified copies carried his signatures, no such civil suit had ever been instituted or decided in his court, rendering the judgment and decree fake and fabricated.
The FIR names three court employees as accused:Abdul Ahad Lone, Senior Assistant, Nissar Ahmad Bhat, Orderly and Bashir Ahmad Peer, Orderly.According to the police complaint, the forged court decree and certified documents were allegedly used in favour of Rabia Manzoor, wife of Manzoor Ahmad Ganie** of Sheipora, Pattan, and Abida Malik (since deceased), wife of Khalid Feroz of Chinar Colony, Baghat, Barzulla.Sources said the investigation is also examining whether the allegedly fabricated judicial documents were used to secure mutation or ownership rights over Custodian property, indicating the possibility of a larger land grab racket involving forged court records and fraudulent revenue proceedings.
Police have taken Abdul Ahad Lone and Nissar Ahmad Bhat into custody for questioning, while Bashir Ahmad Peer is yet to be secured. Investigators are probing the complete conspiracy, including the role of beneficiaries, possible involvement of other officials, and whether similar forged judicial records were created or used in other cases.The FIR notes that the alleged offences include criminal conspiracy, forgery for the purpose of cheating, using forged documents as genuine, criminal breach of trust by public servants, and other offences punishable under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The case is being investigated by Police Station Baramulla. Officials said further arrests, custodial interrogation and additional legal action may follow as the investigation progresses. Authorities are also expected to examine whether similar fraudulent court decrees were used in other land transactions, potentially widening the scope of what is emerging as one of the most serious alleged judicial record tampering cases in the district in recent years.