 Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 5: The Crime Branch (Economic Offences Wing) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has unearthed a multi-crore scam involving job rackets, visa frauds, and document forgery. Acting on several written complaints and court directions, the police have registered five separate FIRs against 16 accused persons, including top executives of a Chandigarh-based company, officials of the Jammu Power Development Corporation Limited (JPDCL), and a lawyer.
Among all cases, the most shocking revelation concerns officials of the JPDCL, who allegedly forged the signature of a retired Executive Engineer to fraudulently withdraw lakhs of rupees from the government treasury.
According to officials, the case surfaced in the Batote division of the JPDCL, where government funds were illegally withdrawn by presenting old bills in the name of retired Executive Engineer Shakti Singh after his superannuation. The fraudulent withdrawals came to light after Singh himself lodged a complaint, alleging that his signatures had been forged on several documents.
The case was formally registered following a court directive. Investigations by the Crime Branch revealed that the forgery was carried out with the connivance of insiders in the department.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Crime Branch, Benam Tosh, confirmed that a detailed investigation had been launched into all five cases. “The Crime Branch’s objective is to root out such organized crimes. Those who have betrayed public trust will not be spared under any circumstances,” he said.
The Crime Branch has constituted special investigation teams (SITs) to trace the accused and dismantle the network of individuals involved in the scams. During raids, several documents, bank transaction records, and digital evidence were seized. Officials said that the possible involvement of more government employees is under investigation.
The first case pertains to a Chandigarh-based company, M/s Sapphire, and its owner Jas Bajwa of Punjab, accused of cheating a Samba resident of Rs 17.09 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad.
According to SSP Crime, complainant Prem Nath alleged that the company collected money with false assurances of overseas placement. Investigations revealed that company officials—Manager Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Counsellor Gagan, Refund In-Charge Devinder Singh, and Authorized Signatory Shalika—had defrauded several individuals through similar fake visa schemes using social media and misleading advertisements.
An FIR was registered, and all accused have been booked for cheating and forgery.
In the second case, Chaudhary Mushtaq of Rajouri has been accused of defrauding 41 unemployed youth of Rs 1.43 crore by promising them jobs in the Territorial Army.
Police said the accused issued fake appointment letters and claimed to have “direct access” to senior Army officers. When the victims discovered the fraud, they approached the Crime Branch. Preliminary investigations suggest the racket had been operating for a long time across several districts.
In another case, Hem Raj and Kavya Nair from Samba allegedly duped Avinash Singh, a resident of Bhaderwah (Doda), by promising him a managerial job at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), Katra.
The accused reportedly took Rs 18.55 lakh from the victim, citing “internal recommendations,” but neither arranged the job nor returned the amount. Investigations revealed that both had been involved in similar frauds in the past.
In the fifth case, the Crime Branch registered an FIR against three persons, including a lawyer, based on a complaint by Nasir Ali of Poonch district. The accused allegedly prepared a false affidavit in a compensation case to mislead the court and obtain undue financial benefits.
Police officials described the latest crackdown as a major step in curbing the rising menace of economic and cyber crimes in Jammu and Kashmir. The Crime Branch has assured that transparent investigations and prompt legal action will be ensured to restore public confidence. |
