J&K Crime Branch arrests fraudster in ₹93 lakh land and property scam
Synopsis
A land broker who allegedly defrauded a victim of ₹93 lakh by selling forged rights to migrant-owned land in Kashmir — and had been evading arrest for a year — has been caught by J&K Crime Branch's Economic Offences Wing. His co-accused remains at large, with a Hue and Cry Notice active and investigations ongoing into what officials describe as a wider fraud network.
Key Takeaways
Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar , resident of Jawalapora, Samson, Budgam , arrested on 18 September 2026 in a ₹93 lakh land and property fraud case.
Arrest executed under a court warrant from the Sub-Judge, Srinagar ; Dar had been evading law enforcement for over one year .
Accused allegedly offered fake sale of 5 kanals of migrant land in Drusu, Pulwama and 300 standing trees in Bijbehara, Anantnag using forged agreements.
A bank account to funnel defrauded funds was reportedly opened on the exact day of the transfer.
Co-accused Soom Nath Koul remains absconding; a Hue and Cry Notice is active against him.
The case is registered under FIR No.
17/2026 at Police Station EOW Kashmir ; investigation into the wider network is ongoing.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of J&K Crime Branch on Friday, 18 September 2026, announced the arrest of a land broker accused of defrauding a victim of ₹93 lakh through a fake sale of migrant property in Kashmir. The arrest brings one of two accused into custody after the suspect had been evading law enforcement for over a year.
Who Was Arrested and What He Is Accused Of
The arrested individual, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar, a resident of Jawalapora, Samson, Budgam, was taken into custody under a warrant issued by the court of the Sub-Judge, Srinagar. According to the EOW, Dar is named in multiple criminal cases registered at Police Station EOW Kashmir and SCW Kashmir, including FIR No. 17/2026 under Sections 318(4), 338, 340, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Dar had reportedly been evading arrest for approximately one year prior to his apprehension. The EOW described him as a 'notorious fraudster' with involvement in a major multi-lakh financial cheating case.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to the EOW statement, Dar, allegedly acting in connivance with co-accused Soom Nath Koul — a resident of 22 Lotus Tower, Bengaluru and Janipur, Jammu — offered a fraudulent sale of 5 kanals of migrant land located in Drusu, Pulwama and 300 standing trees in Bijbehara, Anantnag. The transactions were facilitated through forged sale agreements.
Investigations reportedly revealed that a bank account used to channel the defrauded funds was opened on the exact day of the money transfer, suggesting the account was created solely to execute the scheme. The duo allegedly posed as attorney holders or property owners to lure victims with false promises of access to migrant-owned land — a particularly sensitive category of property in the region given the history of Kashmiri Pandit displacement.
Co-Accused Still Absconding
A Hue and Cry Notice remains active against Soom Nath Koul, who is still at large. Authorities say investigation into the broader network and operations is ongoing, raising the possibility of further arrests.
Role of the Economic Offences Wing
The EOW is a specialised investigative unit within the J&K Crime Branch, tasked with probing high-value financial crimes that require dedicated personnel with technological support. The Wing was brought in because, as officials noted, territorial police focused on law and order and security duties are not in a position to assign full-time investigators to complex economic offences.
This case underscores a wider vulnerability in Jammu and Kashmir, where migrant-owned properties have historically been targeted by fraudsters exploiting documentation gaps and the absence of original owners. With one accused in custody and one still evading law enforcement, the EOW's investigation is expected to shed further light on the scale of the alleged network.
Point of View
A bank account opened on the day of the transfer, and the use of migrant property as bait — point to a calculated operation rather than an opportunistic con. Migrant-owned land in Kashmir sits in a legal grey zone that sophisticated fraudsters have long exploited, banking on the physical absence of original owners and the complexity of the documentary trail. The fact that Dar evaded arrest for over a year despite an active court warrant raises questions about the speed of the system's response. With Soom Nath Koul still at large and EOW flagging a wider network, the real story may be less about one arrest and more about how deep this scheme ran.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the J&K ₹93 lakh land fraud case?
Land broker Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Dar , a resident of Jawalapora, Samson, Budgam, was arrested by the J&K Crime Branch's Economic Offences Wing on 18 September 2026. He had been evading arrest for over a year before being apprehended under a court warrant issued by the Sub-Judge, Srinagar.
What was the nature of the ₹93 lakh fraud in Kashmir?
The accused allegedly duped a victim of ₹93 lakh by offering a fake sale of 5 kanals of migrant land in Drusu, Pulwama and 300 standing trees in Bijbehara, Anantnag, using forged sale agreements. A bank account used to receive the defrauded funds was reportedly opened on the exact day of the transfer.
Who is the co-accused still at large in this case?
Soom Nath Koul , a resident of 22 Lotus Tower, Bengaluru and Janipur, Jammu, remains absconding. A Hue and Cry Notice is active against him, and investigation into the wider network is continuing.
Under which sections was the FIR registered?
The case is registered as FIR No. 17/2026 at Police Station EOW Kashmir under Sections 318(4), 338, 340, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Multiple other criminal cases against Dar are also registered at the SCW Kashmir unit of Crime Branch J&K.
Why is migrant property fraud a recurring issue in Kashmir?
Migrant-owned land in Kashmir is particularly vulnerable to fraud because the original owners — many of whom are Kashmiri Pandits displaced decades ago — are often physically absent and unable to monitor their properties. Fraudsters exploit documentation gaps and pose as attorney holders or owners to sell or mortgage land they have no legal right over, targeting buyers who may not be able to verify ownership easily.
