Deed writer, nambardar among six booked in land fraud case

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, January 25

Following the recommendations of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ghansham Thori for the registration of an FIR in a land fraud case, the police have booked six persons, including a deed writer and a nambardar, on charges of fraud, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

In the case, an unidentified woman, Rachita Bhandari, posed as an Indian Foreign Service officer and got her land sold and registered on forged documents. The Deputy Commissioner asked the Police Commissioner for registering an First Information Report (FIR) after a probe was conducted by him and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate into the case.

Those booked were identified as Sher Singh, unidentified seller, deed writer Ashwani Kumar Ashu, nambardar Rupinder Kaur and witnesses James Hans and Naraian Singh, alias Shera. A case under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC added with Section 82 of the Registration Act 1908 was registered against them.

The district administration has also marked an inquiry into the role of the Sub-Registrar Amritsar-3 to the Finance Commissioner (Revenue), besides suspending a sewadar, Gurdhir Singh and issuing a charge-sheet against him.

The Deputy Commissioner had written to Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar for registering an FIR against several suspects, including the woman who posed as an Indian Foreign Service officer for registry of the said property located at Haer village on the Airport road on forged documents. The registry was made in August last year.

The complainant, Sudha Bhandari, mother of the IFS officer, had lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner in December 2023. He had marked a probe to Sub-Divisional Magistrate -2 in this connection. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate submitted his report to the DC on January 4, recommending the registration of an FIR under the Registration Act 1908 and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Following this, the Deputy Commissioner summoned all parties, including private persons, who purchased the plot and the original claimant of the plot, government officials and employees for personal hearing in the case.

The Police Commissioner said further investigations were underway in the case after registering an FIR following the recommendations of the Deputy Commissioner. The accused would be arrested soon.