Bank initiates investigation, police register case
Budgam: Administration here in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has started a fast track investigation after it was revealed that a man has allegedly secured housing loan of Rs 28 lakh from Jammu Kashmir Bank by producing ‘fake’ documents, using fake rubber stamps of top officials and even claimed the ownership of ancestral land, mortgaged it that belonged to his neighbour.
The accused in question is one Mukhtar Ahmed Lone of Bugroo Khansahb area, who is husband of a BDC member.
“We are investigating the matter and even directed the police to lodge a cheating case in this regard. The accused may have cheated people in other cases as well and we are investigating that too. The accused has used the fake stamps of SDM, Tehsildar, Sub-Registrar and Patwari,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Khansahab Syed Ahmed Katari said.
The fraud surfaced when the land owner Haji Bashir Ahmed whose land was mortgaged by the accused without his knowledge was informed by a bank employee about the matter.
“I was shocked after learning it. How can he do this single-handedly? How can Bugroo branch of JK Bank sanction loan in his favour when he has used fake stamps and fake documents? Some bank employees might be part of this fraud and it must be investigated,” the land owner said, adding that the accused is misusing the position of his wife who is a BDC member.
SDM Khansahab Syed Ahmed Katari confirmed that the government documents submitted by the accused are fake. “Every stamp the accused has used in the documents is fake. The stamp vendor who has provided these fake stamps of officials to the accused will also be arrested. The involvement of some bank employees in the fraud can’t be ruled out. We have asked Khansahab police to speed up the investigation,” he said.
The JK Bank has already transferred Rs 15 lakh to the personal account of the accused Mukhtar Ahmed Mir.
A police official said that an FIR vide number 130/2021 under sections 420, 478 has been registered in this regard and investigation set into motion on priority basis. “Guilty will be booked,” he said.
Cluster Head Jammu Kashmir Bank Budgam Azad Ahmed Bhat said that Bank has a separate Inspection Vigilance Department that will investigate this matter.
“If police have proof about the accused, they should arrest him. If the involvement of any bank employee is being established, he too will face the music,” Bhat said, adding that internal investigation has already been started in this case. (KNT)