Former sarpanch booked for plot fraud in Farrukhnagar

Gurugram: A former sarpanch has been booked for allegedly mortgaging a plot for a loan of ₹48

Gurugram: A former sarpanch has been booked for allegedly mortgaging a plot for a loan of ₹48.7 lakh and later also taking compensation from the Haryana government by forging documents when the plot was acquired for broadening of the Pataudi-Gurugram Road, police said on Sunday.

Former sarpanch booked for plot fraud in Farrukhnagar

Police said the suspect, Pahlad Singh, had approached Moti Lal (35), and his sister Savita Devi (41), of Khawaspur in Farrukhnagar for financial help. They said the suspect, also hailing from the same village, asked them to lend ₹48.7 lakh in March 2018 for a period of one year. He offered them the plot as a mortgage, whose market worth was more than the loan amount.

Investigators said Lal gave ₹16.23 lakh and his sister gave ₹32.46 lakh to the suspect through back cheques on April 2, 2018. Investigators said the woman had paid the suspect a major chunk of the money which she received from an insurance firm after the death of her husband in a road accident.

Police said that during this time, the Haryana government acquired a large portion of land in Khawaspur, which also included the mortgaged plot.

As per police, in August 2022, the victims came to know that the suspect had claimed the compensation amount against the plot by allegedly forging documents and their signatures and submitting them in the district revenue office, more than a year ago.

On Lal’s complaint, an FIR was registered against the suspect under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 467 (forging valuable security, will or authority to receive any money), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using a forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Farrukhnagar police station on Friday, police said.

HT tried to contact the suspect but he was unreachable.

Police said that Lal had submitted the police complaint on October 10 last year, but it was registered after an inquiry in which the allegations were found to be true.

Subhash Boken, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said an investigation is underway in the case and necessary action will be taken on the basis of evidence.