Five persons have been detained, including a GMADA employee, on charges of scamming a land deal valued at crores of rupees. According to reports, the accused are con artists who stole a sizable sum of money that belonged to a real estate broker.
Prakash Thakur, the complainant, who is also a property dealer from Chandigarh, had arranged with the accused to purchase a piece of land measuring 55 canals and 10 marlas in Jampur village located in Mohali, back in November 2020. Thakur was representing multiple purchasers as an agent according to the agreement.
He paid a token amount of ₹2 crore to the accused and the complete land registration was scheduled for November 2021. However, despite receiving a substantial amount of ₹10 crore from buyers for 29 canals of land that were registered, the accused allegedly failed to register the remaining 26 canals and 10 marlas, even after receiving ₹2.5 crore for them.
The complainant further alleged that the accused is now demanding an increased price for the remaining land, refusing to honour the initial agreement.
Bakhshish Singh, Deedar Singh, Jasveer Singh, Harbinder Singh (the GMADA employee), and his brother Dalveer Singh have been named as the suspects. Following Indian Penal Code sections 406, 420, and 120-B, the Balongi police have filed a complaint against them.
This episode brings to light the rising alarm over land fraud and the complicity of public servants in these schemes. The case has prompted concerns about the security of real estate transactions and the requirement for stronger laws to stop these kinds of scams.
As the investigation proceeds, additional facts about the purported fraud and the roles that each accused party is alleged to have played will likely emerge. Homebuyers should remember this case as a sign of necessity to do thorough research and go through all documents before entering into any real estate contracts.
