Rs 75 lakh recovered in Rs 2.39 Cr job scam, refunded: SSP Jammu
Jammu, Jul 9: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu Joginder Singh Wednesday stated that the Police recovered Rs 75 lakhs, by executing first-ever property attachment in a high-profile job fraud case under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and refunded them to victims.
“This milestone reflects the victim centric approach embodied in India’s new criminal justice reforms,” SSP Jammu said, while addressing a press conference here at District Police Lines. “The case revolves around Harpreet Singh, a resident of Pallanwala, who posed as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army and defrauded multiple individuals of more than Rs 2.39 Cr by falsely promising them jobs in prestigious government institutions such as MES, MoD, and DRDO,” SSP Joginder Singh informed.
He said that the fraud came to light when Arun Sharma, a resident of Nagrota, filed a complaint on November 6, 2024, leading to the registration of FIR No 293/2024 under Sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the BNS at Police Station Nagrota, Jammu. The accused was arrested the following day. Investigation revealed that a sale agreement was executed between Kamaljeet Kour, wife of co-accused Surinder Singh and the accused’s mother, Paramjeet Kour to the tune of Rs 2, 22, 50,000 for the purchase of double story duplex building constructed over 8 Marlas of land in Chhanni Bheja, tehsil Bahu Fort, Jammu. Moreover, an amount of Rs 1,93,50,000 was received by Surinder Singh, co-accused and his wife from accused Harpreet through online transactions and cash.
“The amount paid by accused Harpreet Singh was part of proceeds of crime collected from innocent victims in lieu of providing government job. Acting on a police plea, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, passed an attachment order on January 18, 2025 under Section 107(5) BNSS, which was executed by Tehsildar Bahu. A 14-day show cause notice was issued to the accused to justify the source of funds used in the transaction, failing which the property was to be auctioned,” SSP Jammu said. He said that during court proceedings, based on clinching evidence presented by the Investigating Officer, Kamaljeet Kour made a judicial admission that she had received Rs 1.53 Cr from the accused.
“In a significant development, she voluntarily agreed to refund the amount initially, committing to deposit Rs 50 lakhs within 7 days, and the remaining Rs 1.03 Cr within two months. Moreover, an amount of Rs 40,50,000, which is a disputed amount, can be proved only during trial,” SSP stated.
The Court, as per SSP Jammu, ruled that the attachment order would remain in effect until the admitted amount was fully deposited. It also prohibited the seller from creating any third-party interest in the property. The SSP Jammu was directed to open a dedicated account for collecting and distributing the recovered funds among the verified victims. “Today the recovered amount of Rs 75 lakhs has been distributed equally among 17 victims, through cheques. This marks the first instance in UT of J&K under BNSS where defrauded money has been returned to victims, exemplifying the law’s focus on justice, accountability, and restitution,” SSP Singh said.
The case was meticulously investigated by Inspector Parvez Sajad, SHO Nagrota, under the supervision of DySP Vinod Kundal, SDPO Nagrota), SP Rural Brijesh Sharma and SSP Jammu Joginder Singh. Legal assistance was provided by Senior Prosecuting Officer Altaf Wahid, DPO Jammu and financial expertise was provided by Account Officer, Kamal Bhagat, it was stated. “This breakthrough demonstrates a strong legal and administrative resolve to tackle economic offences and restore public trust. It sets a crucial precedent for future enforcement under the BNSS and reflects the evolving framework of a more responsive and victim-oriented criminal justice system,” SSP Jammu said.
