Property fraud case: Court convicts two persons for cheating foreign woman

Srinagar, Aug 2: Bringing closure to a 17-year-long legal battle, the Court of City Judge Srinagar, Abdul Bari, convicted two individuals for defrauding a foreign national of Rs 34 lakh in a meticulously crafted property scam dating back to 2008.
The convicted individuals, identified as Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo and Nazir Ahmad Guroo, sons of Gulla Guroo, residents of Abi Karpora, Nehru Park, Dalgate, Srinagar, were found guilty of orchestrating a fraudulent property deal by deceiving a foreign lady into believing she could legally own property in Kashmir.
The case traces back to June 26, 2010, when the Crime Branch Kashmir registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by the foreign woman. According to the complainant, she had paid Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo an amount of Rs 34 lakh for purchasing a house and land in the Gulab Bagh area of Srinagar. However, Mukhtar, concealing the legal fact that a foreign national is barred from owning immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir, purchased the said property in his own name.
The victim, under the impression of being a co-owner, lived in the house with Mukhtar for some time, only to realize later that she had been deceived. The investigation revealed that the complainant had come to India in the early 1990s and was residing in Goa when she met Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo in 2005. Their relationship evolved into a domestic partnership, likened to that of husband and wife. Taking advantage of this trust, the accused duped her into parting with her life savings.
The Crime Branch concluded its investigation and filed a chargesheet before the competent court on August 24, 2010, establishing the allegations as true. After hearing extensive arguments from both sides, City Judge Abdul Bari pronounced the judgment, holding both accused guilty.
In a comprehensive and sharply worded verdict, the Judge remarked that the actions of the accused were a “calculated betrayal of trust,” executed with the singular intent to defraud an unsuspecting foreign woman who believed in their words.
As per the court order, Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo has been convicted under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code and sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000. His accomplice, Nazir Ahmad Guroo, was convicted under Sections 109 read with 420 RPC for abetment in the crime and awarded the same sentence of two years’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000.
The court further directed that in case of default in payment of the fine, the convicts will undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Additional Public Prosecutor Vikas Kumar represented the prosecution in the case. [KNT]