Court Convicts Three in Property Fraud Case
Nearly nine years after a property fraud case was registered, a Ludhiana court has convicted three members of a family for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy in connection with a fraudulent property deal in which a woman and her late husband were allegedly duped of Rs 23 lakh.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amit Bakshi convicted Gurbachan Singh, alias Mani Shah, his brother Mehar Singh, and their father, Amrik Singh, residents of Kamla Nagar, Dhuri Line, Ludhiana. Each has been sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000.
Compensation Ordered for Victim
In addition to the fine, the court directed the convicts to jointly pay Rs 23 lakh as compensation to the complainant, with liability apportioned equally among them. To establish the charges, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses.
According to the prosecution, complainant Kuldeep Kaur told the police that in 2011 the accused agreed to sell her husband, Mohinder Singh (now deceased), a farmhouse measuring 1,250 square yards. After receiving Rs 15 lakh, they failed to execute the sale deed, claiming that the land was subject to a stay order.
Fraudulent Scheme Uncovered
The accused later persuaded the family to purchase another house in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. They allegedly collected additional money and subsequently executed fresh agreements, promising either the transfer of alternative plots or a refund through post-dated cheques in 2016. However, the cheques were dishonoured and the promised properties were allegedly sold to other buyers.
During the trial, the prosecution established that the original agreement to sell, on the basis of which the money had been obtained, was forged. The purported owner of the property testified that he had never executed such an agreement and alleged that blank signed stamp papers, which Gurbachan Singh had taken as security for a loan, were misused.
The court also relied on the testimony of an independent witness, who stated that at the instance of the accused, the property was first transferred in his name before fresh agreements were executed with the complainant. The court observed that this sequence of transactions indicated a deliberate attempt to continue the deception. The accused denied the allegations and pleaded false implication. They also denied issuing any cheques to refund the money.
Court Finds Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Observing that the active participation of all three accused had been established and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the court convicted them and sentenced each to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.
