Two held for selling illegal plots in Shahberi

The Bisrakh police on Thursday arrested two men wanted in connection with selling illegal plots to people in the Shahberi area where exactly two years ago, nine

The Bisrakh police on Thursday arrested two men wanted in connection with selling illegal plots to people in the Shahberi area where exactly two years ago, nine persons were killed when poorly constructed twin buildings collapsed.

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Ever since the tragedy, the Greater Noida authority and police department had cracked down on people selling farm land illegally and dealers who were selling illegal plots and houses. Several such cases had been registered in 2018 and 2019 and suspects were booked under the gangster act as well. The suspects arrested on Thursday were wanted in two such cases.

“They had been absconding and had non-bailable warrants against them. They were finally arrested on Thursday from Ghaziabad,” said deputy commissioner of police, zone 2, Harish Chander.

The suspects were identified as Hirendra Kant Sharma, a resident of Vijay Nagar, and Ashok Goswami, a resident of Muradnagar. Police officials said that they were tipped by informants on the wanted men’s whereabouts.

The two, along with several associates, had sold many plots in the Shahberi area to unsuspecting people and then fled with the money before the victims realised they had been sold illegal land.

Police said that hundreds of buyers had been duped and charge sheet has already been filed in the case.

Sharma and Goswami were booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 288 (Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 420 (cheating) , 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc) , 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document etc) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the criminal law act.

They were produced before a magistrate and later sent to jail.