The Crime Branch (CB) Jammu has registered five separate FIRs against 11 individuals, including an SBI Bank Manager and a retired police official, for their involvement in a series of high-profile frauds amounting to over Rs 3.12 crore. The scams include MBBS admission fraud, visa rackets, fake land sales, and government job scams.
Confirming the developments, SSP Crime Jammu, Benam Tosh, said on Sunday that five FIRs have been registered at the Police Station Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch. Investigations are ongoing.
A statement of the CB said that an FIR has been lodged against Javaid Ashraf Bhatti, SBI Bank Manager, following two separate complaints. Bhatti is accused of duping complainants of Rs 1.78 crore by falsely claiming ownership of Kala Kote Filling Station at Kalakote, Rajouri, and offering to sell it to them.
Another FIR has been registered against retired police official SgCt Paramjeet Singh. Based on three written complaints, Singh allegedly cheated victims out of Rs 72.93 lakh by falsely promising the sale of land parcels in Birpur and Jammu, and a residential property in Gangyal, none of which he owned.
The agency also booked Fayaj Ahmad Rather, proprietor of Fayaj International Education Consultancy. He is accused of defrauding Anil Gupta of Rs 40 lakh by promising MBBS admission for his son in ASCOMS, Sidhra, Jammu.
In another case, five individuals—Mohammad Issaq, Mukhtiar Ahmad (Zanheri, Thathri Doda), Tariq Hussein, Mudassir Hussein (Hatmulla, Kupwara), and Sher Mohammad (Haloor Gandoh, Doda)—have been booked for collecting Rs 12.70 lakh from four complainants under the guise of securing government jobs.
Yet another FIR names Sahil Bhagat, of Sujanpur, Pathankot (Punjab), along with associates, for allegedly duping seven individuals from Bishnah (Jammu) and Swankha (Samba) of Rs 36.89 lakh. The victims were promised overseas work visas and were even issued fake visas for Italy and Australia.