Crime Branch chargesheets four in Rs 1.66 crore property scam

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing of Crime Branch Kashmir on Tuesday said that it filed a chargesheet before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, against four individuals in a fraud case involving a fake property transaction worth rupees 1.66 crore.
According to an official statement issued here on Tuesday the accused have been identified as Abdul Wahid Khan, resident of Khan Mohalla Baghat-e-Barzulla Srinagar; Mohammad Yousuf Malik, resident of Nai Sarak Habba Kadal Srinagar and presently residing at Natipora; Mohammad Ashraf Mir, resident of Hakhripora Pulwama; and Mohammad Maqbool Shah, resident of Peerbagh Srinagar.
It said that the case originated from a complaint alleging that the complainants, who intended to purchase a house with adequate land, were approached by the accused posing as property dealers.
“They allegedly showcased a double-storey house with one kanal and five marlas of land at Chinar Colony, Baghat-i-Barzulla, belonging to Mst. Koshaliya, widow of Jawahar Lal Rafiz,” it said, adding that the accused are alleged to have induced the complainants to pay rupees 1.16 crore by preparing a false agreement to sell migrant property.
The investigation further revealed that the accused later inflated the sale price and collected an additional rupees 50 lakh, taking the total amount to rupees 1.66 crore. The complainants were neither handed possession of the property nor refunded their money.
The probe established that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy and prepared fraudulent documents to misappropriate the complainants’ funds.
A chargesheet in FIR No. 14/2018 under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B of the RPC has been submitted for judicial determination. The Court has remanded two of the accused, Mohammad Yousuf Malik and Mohammad Maqbool Shah, to judicial custody.
The Economic Offences Wing of Crime Branch Kashmir has advised the public to remain cautious while entering into property transactions, the statement added.