Srinagar, May 19 (NVI): The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Kashmir on Tuesday conducted raids in Budgam district in connection with an alleged land fraud case involving nearly Rs 93 lakh, officials said.
The searches were carried out at Semsaan area of Budgam in connection with FIR No. 17/2026 registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against two accused persons — Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar of Jawalpora Budgam and Soom Nath Koul of Bangalore North, Karnataka, and Janipur Jammu, they said.
According to officials, the complainant was allegedly duped into purchasing five kanals of migrant land at Drusu in Pulwama along with 300 standing trees in Bijbehara through fake sale agreements and fabricated documents.
Investigations revealed that Soom Nath Koul allegedly posed as the authorised attorney holder of the original landowners, while co-accused Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar acted as a witness during the transactions, officials said.
The probe further found that neither the land nor the trees belonged to the accused persons, indicating a planned conspiracy to cheat the complainant of a huge amount, they added.
Officials said the raids were conducted in the presence of Executive Magistrates to seize incriminating material and collect further evidence related to the case.
The Crime Branch said further investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the EOW advised the public to remain cautious against economic frauds and report such incidents to the SSP EOW Srinagar.(NVI)
