Eleven
persons booked for Rs 2.50-crore fraud in a land deal with an
NRI
Former MLA kin booked for
duping
27 Apr 2008, 0058 hrs IST,IP Singh,TNN
PHAGWARA: Eleven persons including close relatives of a former BSP
MLA have been booked for a Rs 2.53-crore fraud in a land deal with
an NRI.
While UK-based Sadhu Singh, originally from Mehtan village, complained
to the police that he was duped after being promised land along
national highway near Sapror village, two separate enquiries by
Phagwara DSP HPS Khakh and Kapurthala SP (D) Sukhwinder Singh
led to two brothers-in-law, mother-in-law and three nephews of
former BSP MLA Shingara Ram Shahungara getting booked.
"Even after paying the hefty amount, Sadhu, who has been
in the UK for four decades, wanted to make investments here but
he failed to get even an inch of the land registered in his name,"
said sources.
Apparently assuring a good return on the investment, Arun Kumar,
a property dealer, and Manjinder Singh Sangha were said to have
shown him this land measuring 4.5 acre.
"The deal was settled at Rs 2.38 crore per acre and an agreement
was signed by owners led by Lekh Raj, Shahungara’s brother-in-law,
on February 7, 2007, and an advance payment of Rs 2 crore was
made. However, Sangha was made a partner with Sadhu in the deal
without any money transaction," said Khakh.
While Sangha later gave an affidavit to withdraw his share in
the deal, the accused lured the NRI to buy another chunk, for
which Rs 53 lakh was taken from Sadhu to reportedly ink the deal.
"The sale deed could not be registered as one of the stake
holders in the land died and the time limit for registering the
deed was extended with mutual understanding. However, before deed
registration on November 11, 2007, the accused demanded money
at 3% rate per month over the entire cost of land."
Sensing that he had been cheated, Sadhu submitted a complaint
to Jalandhar DIG who ordered an enquiry in the case.
Lekh Raj, his brother Ram Saroop, mother Udhi Devi, three nephews
of Lekh Raj and their mother Manjinder Singh Sangha, Arun Kumar
and others have been booked.