Multi-Crore Land Fraud Busted In Kashmir, Same Plot Sold To Different Buyers

A major land fraud racket operating in Kashmir has been uncovered by the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch. According to investigators, an organised land mafia manipulated land records, falsified title deeds, and cancelled legitimate property mutations in connivance with revenue officials to sell the same plots repeatedly to multiple buyers without the knowledge of the original owners.

The scam came to light following a prolonged legal and administrative battle fought by a retired government official who discovered that their half-acre plot in Balhama, near Srinagar, valued at over Rs 3 crore, had been illegally fenced off and built upon. A probe initiated by the District Collector and conducted by the Crime Branch and Revenue Department revealed that a local Tehsildar and a property broker were central to the operation.

Investigators found that after a property mutation was wrongfully cancelled, the broker obtained fresh land extracts to resell the plot. A portion of the victim's land was also fraudulently transferred to the accused revenue official, which investigators described as a quid pro quo. Although the Revenue Secretary eventually revoked the fraudulent mutation and restored ownership to the victim, actual physical possession remains blocked.

The Crime Branch arrested the accused Tehsildar and the property broker last year. Both individuals were placed in custody and later released on bail, and a chargesheet has been filed in the case. Investigators have registered four total cases against the broker for similar fraudulent land-flipping activities.

Not yet reported: The exact total number of victims duped across the entire racket and the total financial magnitude of all combined fraudulent transactions are not explicitly stated.