Property dealer arrested in Dera Bassi fake NOC case

Mohali, October 26

The police arrested a Bhankarpur property dealer in the fake NOC scam in the Dera Bassi tehsil office.

The suspect was identified as Vidyanand Thakur, alias Vicky, 34. His is the fourth arrest in the case.

The police said Thakur used to create QR code with the help of an application and give it to co-accused Gulshan to prepare fake NOCs. He was in touch with Gulshan for a long time.

The suspect was produced in a court, which sent him to two-day police remand.

Earlier, Ritik, a native of Uttarkhand and currently residing at Dera Bassi, was arrested on Sunday. The police said Ritik, a computer operator and a clerk working with accused coloniser Gulshan, used to edit NOCs. On October 17, the police had arrested Roni Mohalla resident Gulshan Kumar and Suresh Kumar of Pahari Gate in connection with the fake NOC case.

After an SIT probe, as many as 77 fake NOCs purportedly issued by the Municipal Council for the registration of properties at the tehsil office between January 1 and August 31 this year were detected. Cops said the NOCs issued earlier were also being verified as part of the investigation. Fake NOCs were submitted for regularisation and registration of illegal constructions and encroachments, a source said, adding that a coloniser had joined the investigation.

The civic bodies of Dera Bassi, Lalru and Zirakpur have launched an investigation into the matter of fake NOCs for the registration of plots, thereby causing a loss of crores to the Local Government Department over the past year and a half.

A case has been registered under Sections 406, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC at the Dera Bassi police station following a complaint by the Dera Bassi Municipal Council Executive Officer.

SIT found 77 fake NOCs issued by civic body

• The suspect, Vidyanand Thakur, alias Vicky, 34, used to create QR code with the help of an application and give it to co-accused Gulshan to prepare fake NOCs. He was in touch with Gulshan for a long time.
• After an SIT probe, as many as 77 fake NOCs purportedly issued by the Municipal Council of Dera Bassi for the registration of properties at the tehsil office between January 1 and August 31 this year were detected.
• Fake NOCs were submitted for regularisation and registration of illegal constructions and encroachments, a source said, adding that a coloniser had joined the investigation.