• 14 kanals, 3 marlas in Pattan allegedly sold fraudulently;
• Possession not handed over, money not refunded
• 2 accused arrested in Sept; one remains in jail, another gets bail
Srinagar| Oct, 29: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch J&K has filed a chargesheet against five persons in an alleged migrant property fraud case involving 14 kanals and 3 marlas of land in Pattan, with the complainant alleging payments exceeding Rs 1 crore but neither receiving possession nor a refund.
The chargesheet in FIR No. 34/2017 under Sections 420, 419, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) was filed before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore.
According to the EOW, the case stemmed from a written complaint alleging the fraudulent sale of land bearing Survey No. 349 at Wussan, Goshbugh, Pattan, owned by Jawahar Lal Bhat.
The investigation allegedly uncovered a criminal conspiracy involving impersonation, fabricated identity documents and the misuse of a purported Power of Attorney to facilitate the transaction, the agency said.
The five accused have been identified as Brij Nath of Amit Nagar, Muthi, Jammu; Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar of Samson, Budgam; Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh of SachenBanit, Beerwah, Budgam; Zahoor Ahmed Dar of Margipora, Pattan; and Reyaz Ahmad Rather of Margipora, Pattan, Baramulla.
The EOW said Brij Nath, also known by the aliases Soom Nath, Hadi Nath and Mohan Lal, and Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar were arrested in late September. Dar subsequently secured bail, while Brij Nath remains lodged in Central Jail.
The agency said both accused are also being investigated in other cases.In August 2023, the EOW Srinagar had filed a chargesheet in another case, FIR No. 27/2021, against Brij Nath Bhat and Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh. The latest chargesheet marks another prosecution involving the two accused, the agency said.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, EOW Kashmir, has advised people to verify land ownership records and documents thoroughly before entering into property transactions to prevent fraud and financial losses.
