Srinagar, Dec 25 (NationPress) The Crime Branch of J&K Police announced on Thursday that a charge sheet has been submitted against an individual involved in a fraudulent job-land scheme, where a government employee allegedly forged the signatures of senior officials.

According to a statement from the Crime Branch Kashmir, this represents a significant advancement in combating fraud and economic crimes. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir has presented a charge sheet in a notorious scam concerning fake job placements and land allocations, revealing how a government employee reportedly swindled unemployed individuals and impoverished families by issuing counterfeit allotment and employment orders utilizing falsified official seals and signatures.

The EOW of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a charge sheet under FIR No. 54/2023, citing Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC, before the Hon’ble Court of the 4th Additional Munsiff Judge, Srinagar, targeting the accused, Fouzia Afzal, daughter of Mohd Afzal Magray, residing in Rehmatullah Colony, Sector-B, Fruit Mandi, Parimpora, Srinagar.

This case emerged from a complaint claiming that the accused, a Class-IV employee in the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar’s office, engaged in severe criminal misconduct by distributing fake allotment orders for shops and land plots.

During the investigation, it was uncovered that the fraudulent orders featured forged signatures of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, along with a counterfeit seal of the District Magistrate, Srinagar. Following the complaint, a comprehensive investigation was launched by EOW Kashmir. The findings indicated that the accused had deceived numerous innocent individuals and unemployed youth, extracting significant sums under the false pretense of providing shops at Jehangir Chowk, 5-marla plots at Bemina, and appointment letters for Junior Assistant roles in various governmental departments, as highlighted in the statement.

Victims were provided with fake allotment orders and documents bearing forged signatures to lend credibility to the scam.

Further inquiries unveiled that the accused operated in her personal capacity outside official hours, impersonating high-ranking officials from various departments, including the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, and the Divisional Commissioner’s Office, Kashmir.

The investigation confirmed that Fouzia Afzal is a repeat offender, linked to multiple FIRs lodged at various police stations in Srinagar district, with several other complaints under examination by the EOW Crime Branch Kashmir. She has already been suspended, and a departmental inquiry has suggested her premature retirement under Article 226(2) of J&K Service Conduct Rules, as per the inquiry report dated October 14, 2023. The investigation in this case has been concluded as ‘proved,’ with the charge sheet filed in court,” the statement elaborated.

Afzal was apprehended by the J&K Police in relation to this case.