Multi-crore job scam in Jammu: DGP distributes Rs 1.53 crore recovered by police among victims
This breakthrough demonstrates a strong legal and administrative resolve to tackle economic offences and restore public trust, police said.
Jammu, Jul 29 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat on Tuesday distributed Rs 1.53 crore recovered by police in a multi-crore job scam among the victims here, a spokesperson said.
Flanked by Jammu Zone Inspector General of Police (IGP) B. S. Tuti and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shiv Kumar Sharma, the DGP was briefed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Joginder Singh regarding this sensational case, including the quality and swift investigation carried out by the Jammu Police team to ensure timely justice to the victims of the job scam through outstanding use of victim-centric provisions available under the new criminal laws.
In a landmark action under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police successfully executed its first-ever property attachment in a high-profile job fraud case, resulting in recovery and refund of Rs 1.53 crore to the victims, the spokesperson said.
'This milestone reflects the victim-centric approach embodied in India's new criminal justice reforms,' he added.
The case revolves around Harpreet Singh, a resident of Pallanwala, who posed as a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army and defrauded multiple individuals of more than Rs 2.39 crores by falsely promising them jobs in prestigious government institutions such as Military Engineer Services (MES), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The spokesperson said that the fraud came to light when Arun Sharma, a resident of Nagrota, filed a complaint on November 6, 2024, leading to the registration of a case.
The accused was immediately arrested, he added.
The investigation revealed that a sale agreement was executed between Kamaljeet Kour (wife of Suriender) and the accused's mother, Paramjeet Kour, for the sale of a double-storey duplex building constructed over 8 marlas of land in Channi Bheja for Rs 2.225 crore.
An amount of Rs 1,93,50,000 was received by Suriender Singh (co-accused) and his wife from Harpreet Singh through online transactions and cash. The amount paid by Harpreet Singh was the proceeds of crime collected from innocent victims in exchange for false job promises, he said.
Acting on a police plea, the chief judicial magistrate passed an attachment order on January 18, 2025, which was executed by Tehsildar Bahu.
A 14-day show cause notice was issued to the accused to justify the source of the funds used in the transaction failing which the property was to be auctioned.
During the court proceedings, based on clinching evidence presented by the investigating officer, Kamaljeet Kour made a judicial admission that she had received Rs 1.53 crore from the accused.
In a significant development, she voluntarily agreed to refund the amount, initially committing to deposit Rs 50 lakh within 7 days and the remaining Rs 1.03 crore within two months — which she did accordingly.
The court ruled the attachment order shall remain in effect until the admitted amount is fully deposited.
The SSP of Jammu was directed to open a dedicated account for collecting and distributing the recovered funds among the verified victims.
'In the first instance, a recovered amount of Rs 75 lakh was distributed equally among 17 victims through cheques and today, an amount of Rs 78 lakh has been distributed equally among 22 victims through cheques,' he said.
Till date, a total of Rs 1.53 crore has been distributed to the victims, the spokesperson said.
This marks the first instance in Jammu and Kashmir under the BNSS where defrauded money has been returned to the victims, exemplifying the law's focus on justice, accountability and restitution, he added.
The IGP congratulated the Jammu Police team and urged them to maintain the same level of professionalism, commitment and public service in future.
The DGP also lauded the exceptional performance of the investigating team of Police Station Nagrota led by SHO Parvez Sajad and supervisory officers — SDPO Vinod Kundal and SP Brijesh Sharma — under the leadership of SSP Joginder Singh. PTI AB AS AS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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