Jammu, January 8:
The Special Crime Wing (SCW) of the Jammu Crime Branch has officially registered a case against a former Patwari for allegedly defrauding a citizen of ₹4.5 lakh in a land sale scam dating back to 2004.
The accused, identified as Suraj Parkash, son of Nand Lal and resident of Talab Tillo, was reportedly posted as Patwari at Halqa Chatta when the alleged crime took place.
According to the official complaint, the fraudulent activity began in 2004 when Parkash approached the victim with an offer to sell 10 Kanals of land in Revenue Village Chatta.
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The Agreement: The victim agreed to purchase the land at a rate of ₹45,000 per Kanal.
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The Payment: A total sum of ₹4,50,000 was paid to the accused after he produced documents claiming ownership and showed the physical site to the buyer.
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The Delay: After receiving the funds, the accused failed to provide valid revenue documents or hand over possession, consistently using “dilly-dallying tactics” to avoid the victim.
The SKUAST Deception
In a further attempt to mislead the buyer, Parkash allegedly claimed that the land was being acquired by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu.
He promised the complainant that he would receive a higher compensation of ₹75,000 per Kanal from the government. However, the victim’s suspicions were confirmed when he visited the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Jammu and discovered his name was not on the list of beneficiaries for any such acquisition.
When pressured to return the money, the accused issued two cheques to the complainant. Both cheques were dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds.
Following a Preliminary Verification by the Crime Branch, it was determined that the accused had caused wrongful loss to the complainant for his own wrongful gain.
“The acts of omission and commission on the part of the accused prima facie disclosed the commission of an offence punishable under Section 420 RPC,” stated SSP SCW Jammu, Sh. Sanjay Parihar.
A formal FIR has been registered at the Police Station Special Crime Wing, Crime Branch, Jammu.
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Investigating Officer: Dy. SP Deepak Jasrotia.
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Status: Further investigation is currently in progress to uncover any additional details or potential accomplices.
