Srinagar Court convicts five in Rs 4.5 crore land fraud case after 15-year trial

Srinagar, September 1: In a landmark verdict, a Srinagar court on Monday convicted five individuals in a high-profile cheating case involving fraudulent land transactions worth several crores. 

The City Judge delivered the judgment, bringing closure to a protracted legal battle that began in 2010.

The case revolved around the accused, including Ghulam Qadir Dar and four others, who were charged under sections 420 and 506 of the Ranbir Penal Code for cheating, forgery, and criminal intimidation.

According to the prosecution, led by Additional Public Prosecutor Vikas Kunar, the accused conspired to defraud the International Building House Cooperative Society by selling 109 kanals of land in Shariefabad, Budgam, through forged agreements and fake documents, including a fabricated Army NOC.

Complainant Akhtar Rasheed Wani, chairman of the society, deposed that he initially paid Rs 2.61 crore—later escalating to Rs 4.5 crore—under a fraudulent agreement dated March 15, 2008.

 Despite the payments, neither ownership documents nor possession of the land was handed over. Instead, the accused allegedly sold portions of the land to third parties while misrepresenting its status using a fake Army NOC.

Prosecution witnesses, including company employees and the investigating officer, corroborated the claims, confirming that the land was under Army claim and that the NOC was forged.

The defence argued the matter was a civil dispute lacking criminal intent and pointed to the absence of original documents and bank statements. However, the court dismissed these arguments, holding that the prosecution had proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt through consistent testimony and documentary evidence.

The court convicted accused No. 1 and 2 under sections 420 and 506 RPC, while accused No. 3 to 5 were convicted under section 506 RPC. All five were sentenced to two years’ simple imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 each, with sentences to run concurrently.

While awarding what it termed a comparatively lenient punishment due to the 15-year duration of the trial, the court underscored the seriousness of fraudulent property dealings.