REUSE OF STAMP PAPERS
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Continuing the investigations into fake stamp papers scam, the Economics Offences Wing (EoW) of Crime Branch Jammu on Friday arrested advocate Rajat Singh and his father Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha, both residents of Greater Kailash area in Jammu.
The arrests were carried out immediately after the court rejected the anticipatory bail of both the accused.
Soon after the court order, both the accused father-son duo were arrested from the Janipur court complex. According to CB sleuths, advocate Rajat committed fraud in many land registries while as his father Lakhbir Singh, working as an assistant with a stamp vendor, supplied the used stamp papers.
Unearthing a major stamp papers scam being operated by two advocates and vendors in south Jammu sub district area, the Economics Offences Wing of Crime Branch Jammu had last month conducted searches at five places in R S Pura, Bishnah and Greater Kailash area in Jammu District. FIR 89/23 was registered under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC against six persons. The CB teams had seized many documents and electronic gadgets including computers and laptops during the raids. Investigation of the case was entrusted for in-depth investigation to SIT headed by DySP Bhagwan Dass Dandia.
A written complaint was lodged by Anup Sadotra, son of Harshvardan Sharma, resident of Kanhal Upper, Bishnah, Rohit Gupta, son of late Arun Kumar Gupta, resident of Lower Jalo Chak Tehsil Bahu, Jammu wherein they alleged that it is a matter of grave concern that has come to their knowledge, involving fraudulent activities within Tehsil Bishnah, causing substantial financial losses to the Revenue Department and consequently to the state exchequer.
The complaint stated that the accused persons activities appear to be deeply entrenched, leading to a severe impact on the revenue collection system of J&JK UT. The fraudulent activities include illegal issuance of agriculture certificates, which are essential documents in the purchase and sale of agricultural land. These certificates are being issued illegally, often to individuals with no genuine connection to agriculture.
Moreover, some certain unscrupulous individuals, possibly in association with employees of the Sub Registrar’s Office, are fraudulently re-using stamp papers multiple times, the complaint stated.
After preliminary investigations, the CB states that this not only compromises the legal integrity of land transactions but also inflicts substantial financial losses on the revenue department and the state exchequer.
The modus operandi of this organized gang involves a network of individuals, including certain Revenue Department officials, property dealers, stamp paper vendors, commission agents, and other intermediaries. It is evident that these individuals are operating with a high degree of coordination, facilitating the issuance of agriculture certificates in exchange for substantial sum of money, thereby siphoning off state funds.