Three arrested for selling Noida plot of deceased man fraudulently

Three people have been arrested in Noida for allegedly selling a plot of land for over ₹6 crore by forging documents and posing as the deceased owner. The prime suspect is still on the run.

The Noida police on Saturday arrested three people for allegedly selling a plot in Noida for over ₹6 crore to another person, by forging documents and posing as the owner, who died in 2019, said senior police officers.

The three persons in police custody. (HT Photo)

A prime suspect in the case, who created the forged documents, is still on the run, police said.

According to Rajneesh Verma, assistant commissioner of police-1, Noida, the matter came to fore on December 10, when Cherukuri Vlajayswari submitted a complaint at the Sector 39 police station alleging that a plot belonging to her deceased father has been sold off fraudulently.

“My father, Y Janaki Ramaiya, acquired the leasehold rights of a residential built up plot of land measuring 450 square metres in 1970. He had then relocated to Andhra Pradesh and spent his remaining life there. In 2019, he passed away due to an illness. On October 31, 2023, we shockingly discovered from neighbours that the plot has been transferred to a third party on October 18, 2023. We immediately came to Noida and inquired into the matter,” said the complainant in the FIR.

It further said, “On going through the documents, it was found that an imposter posing as my father forged his signatures and transferred the property in favour of a third person. The documents showed that payments were been made to my father’s name. The fraudsters also produced a forged Aadhaar card and PAN card in my late father’s name and got witnesses to endorse the fraud. On October 18, the transfer of the property was made to the third party’s name. We request the police to register an FIR and investigate the matter.”

On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was registered under sections of cheating and forgery of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), senior police officers said.

During investigation, it was found that the suspects forged the Aadhaar card and other documents.

“The gang acquired revenue record details of the plot. Fifty-six-year-old Shamsher Singh, a resident of Delhi, posed as the plot owner Ramaiya and sold the plot to a third person and took ₹6.12 crore by making a forged deed. His associate Rajkumar Chauhan alias Pradhan alias Rahisul Hasan, created the forged documents in connivance with his son Shoaib, a resident of Meerut. Sandeep Goyal, a resident of Phase 2, Noida, posed as the broker,” said the ACP.

On Saturday Singh, Shoaib and Goyal were arrested from their residences.

“The gang had opened bank account by the name of the deceased owner using forged documents and got the money transferred there. From this account, they diverted the amount to several other bank accounts while a certain amount was withdrawn as cash. Goyal got ₹1 crore from the deal while Singh got ₹55 lakh, using which he bought a home in Delhi. The police have freezed ₹1.26 crore in the bank account of the suspects,” said Verma.

A fourth suspect Rajkumar Chauhan remains on the run, he added.