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.