₹2.39-cr job scam: J&K police attach accused's property, refund ₹75 lakh to 17 victims
'In a landmark action under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Jammu Police have successfully executed its first-ever property attachment in a high-profile job fraud case, resulting in the recovery and refund of ₹75 lakh to the victims,' said Jammu SSP Joginder Singh at a press conference.
'This milestone reflects the victim-centric approach embodied in India's new criminal justice reforms,' he added.
The SSP informed that the case revolved around Harpreet Singh, a resident of Pallanwala in Akhnoor, who posed as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army and cheated multiple individuals of more than ₹2.39 crore by falsely promising them jobs in prestigious government institutions, such as MES, MoD and DRDO.
'The fraud came to light when Arun Sharma, a resident of Nagrota, filed a complaint on November 6 last year, leading to the registration of an FIR at the Nagrota police station,' he said.
The accused was arrested the following day.
Out of funds collected from naive and gullible youth, the accused had also made digital payment of ₹1.93 crore to one Surinder Singh for purchasing a double-storey duplex building on eight marlas of land at Channi Bheja in Bahu Fort tehsil.
The deal was struck at ₹2.22 crore. 'The amount paid by accused Harpreet Singh was proceeds of crime collected from innocent victims in lieu of providing them government jobs,' said the SSP.
Acting on a police plea, the Jammu chief judicial magistrate passed an attachment order on January 18 this year under Section 107(5) of BNSS, which was executed by the Bahu tehsildar.
'A 14-day show cause notice was issued to the accused to justify the source of funds used in the transaction, failing which the property will be auctioned,' he said.
During court proceedings, based on clinching evidence presented by the investigating officer, Kamaljeet Kour, a co-accused, made a judicial admission that she had received ₹1.53 crore from Harpreet.
She voluntarily agreed to refund the amount, initially committing to deposit ₹50 lakh within seven days, and the remaining ₹1.03 crore within two months, said the SSP.
The court also directed the Jammu SSP to open a dedicated account for collecting and distributing the recovered funds among the verified victims.
'Today the recovered amount of ₹75 lakh has been distributed equally among 17 victims through cheques. This marks the first instance under BNSS in J&K where defrauded money has been returned to victims, exemplifying the law's focus on justice, accountability and restitution,' he said.
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