Nine arrested for duping gullible unemployed youth Share

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Apr 28: Next time you are handed over an appointment letter make sure you are not being duped. Budgam police has busted a well-organised gang of fraudsters, including a defeated candidate of Budgam assembly segment, who were involved in duping unemployed youth by issuing them bogus appointment orders in different government departments, and in the process had managed to amass over Rs one crore, collected from many a gullible unemployed youth of the valley.

The scam is a first of its kind in Kashmir.

The gang was using fake rubber stamps of chief conservator forests (CCF) Kashmir, and of revenue officials for making fraudulent revenue papers. The team had also managed to acquire copies of daily wagers, casual labourer, helper list of forest department engaged in 1987.

“After getting information about the scam, police swung into action and conducted raids to nab the culprits,” SSP Budgam, Aftab Ahmad Kakroo told the Kashmir Times.

He said that police had so far arrested nine members of the gang, including the kingpin Mohammad Ashraf Ahangar, son of Mohammad Akbar Ahangar of Arth Budgam. Kakroo said that more arrests were expected.

Ashraf, the kingpin, had unsuccessfully contested 2008 assembly election from Budgam assembly segment on Jammu and Kashmir Labour Party ticket.

“Ashraf had set up offices of wallpaper business at Hyderpora and Tengpora, and had also opened another office of National Security Network Private Ltd at Hyderpora,” Kakroo said. “He was acting as a self-styled managing director, and had collected Rs four lakh from the unemployed youth for providing them jobs of security guards in hospitals and private establishments.”

Another member of the gang, Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, son of Abdul Salaam of Gulshan Pora Tral, who acted as self-styled assistant executive officer (AEE) of urban environment engineering department (UEED) had issued fraudulent appointment orders to the employed youth and had taken them to some fake sites for joining.

Other members of the gang, who were arrested by the police, included Farooq Ahmad, son of Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh of Dafpora Nasrullapora Budgam and Abdul Qayoom Sheikh, son of Abdul Rehman of Bagwanpora Noorbagh. The former acted as a self-styled PA to AEE, and the latter as a supervisor.

Kakroo told Kashmir Times that the police had seized 10 fake appointment orders of UEED, eight rubber stamps including stamp of chief conservator forests Kashmir, butter paper for making fake seals, fake revenue documents, photocopy of daily wagers, casual labourer, helper list of forest department engaged in 1987, original photocopies of qualification and date of birth (DoB) certificates and photographs of candidates from various parts of the valley.

Police also seized various passbooks and other bank related transaction papers of different banks amounting to Rs 50 lakh, three cheques of Rs 2,30,000 in favour of account number 14449/SB and 904/SB of J&K bank Awantipora and Hyderpora branch respectively, he said.

“We have seized the bank accounts and have intensified the investigation,” Kakroo said.
The police had filed a case under FIR number 129/2010 under section 120, 170, 468, 471, 474/ 120B RPC at police station Budgam.