EOW Kashmir chargesheets 5 in alleged ₹1 crore migrant land fraud

SRINAGAR — The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch Jammu and Kashmir has filed a chargesheet against five accused persons in a 2017 case involving alleged cheating, forgery and fraudulent sale of migrant property.

The chargesheet in FIR No. 34/2017 has been filed before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sopore, under Sections 420, 419, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), according to details provided by the EOW.

The case concerns the alleged fraudulent sale of 14 kanals and 3 marlas of land bearing Survey No. 349 at Wussan, Goshbugh, Pattan, owned by Jawahar Lal Bhat.

According to the complaint, payments exceeding ₹1 crore were made in connection with the transaction, but possession of the land was neither handed over nor was the money refunded.

The investigation allegedly revealed a criminal conspiracy involving impersonation, fabricated identity documents and the misuse of a purported Power of Attorney to defraud the complainant.

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The five accused named in the chargesheet are Brij Nath of Amit Nagar, Muthi, Jammu; Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Dar of Samson, Budgam; Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh of Sachen Banit, Beerwah, Budgam; Zahoor Ahmed Dar of Margipora, Pattan; and Reyaz Ahmad Rather of Margipora, Pattan, Baramulla.

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, according to the supplied details. Dar subsequently secured bail, while Brij Nath remains lodged in Central Jail.

The EOW had earlier filed a chargesheet in August 2023 in another case, FIR No. 27/2021, against Brij Nath and Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh. The agency said the latest chargesheet is the second filed against those two accused.

SSP EOW Kashmir has advised the public to thoroughly verify land ownership records and documents before entering into property transactions to guard against fraud and financial losses.