Five Brokers Convicted in Srinagar Land Fraud After 15 Years

SRINAGAR: The Court of City Judge Srinagar, Abdul Bari, has convicted five land brokers on charges of fraud, cheating, and criminal conspiracy after a prolonged 15-year legal battle. The accused have been sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment along with fines.

The convicted brokers have been identified as Ghulam Qadir Dar and Abdul Rehman Dar, Ghulam Mohammad Malik and Ghulam Mustafa Bhat, all residents of Mirgund Pattan; and Abdul Rehman Thokar of Khusipora HMT.

The case dates back to October 2009 when the chairman of the International Building House Cooperative Society filed a complaint at Police Station Batmaloo. He alleged that in March 2008, he had entered into an agreement with broker Ghulam Qadir Dar and his associates to purchase 109 kanals of land at Sharifabad for Rs 4.5 crore. The complainant said he had already paid Rs 2.61 crore in instalments through cheques, but despite receiving the money, the accused neither provided the ownership documents nor handed over possession of the land.

An FIR (262/2009) was registered under section 420 RPC, and after investigation, a charge sheet was filed in 2013.

After examining witnesses and final arguments, the court delivered a detailed 34-page order, declaring the accused guilty. Judge Abdul Bari observed that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Ghulam Qadir Dar and Abdul Rehman Dar were convicted under sections 420 and 506 RPC, while the other three were convicted under section 506 RPC. Each convict was awarded two years of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000. In case of default, they will undergo an additional six months of imprisonment.

The court ordered that all sentences would run concurrently. While announcing the punishment, the judge noted that the accused had already undergone the ordeal of a 15-year-long trial and hence adopted a lenient approach in sentencing. (KNT)