Srinagar, Aug 2: Bringing an end to a 17-year-long legal battle, the Court of City Judge Srinagar, Abdul Bari, has convicted two men for defrauding a foreign national of ₹34 lakh in a meticulously planned property scam that dates back to 2008. The convicts—Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo and Nazir Ahmad Guroo, sons of Gulla Guroo, and residents of Abi Karpora, Nehru Park, Dalgate—were found guilty of orchestrating a fraudulent property transaction, exploiting the trust of a foreign woman who had been living in India for years.
The case began with an FIR filed by the Crime Branch Kashmir on June 26, 2010, following a complaint from the foreign woman. She alleged that she paid ₹34 lakh to Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo for the purchase of a house and land in Gulab Bagh, Srinagar. However, Mukhtar, while concealing the fact that foreign nationals are legally barred from owning immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir, registered the property in his own name.
Investigations revealed that the victim, who arrived in India in the early 1990s and was living in Goa, met Mukhtar in 2005. Their relationship developed into a live-in partnership akin to that of a married couple. Misusing this trust, Mukhtar persuaded her to invest her life savings into the property deal under the false impression of joint ownership.
The woman lived in the purchased house for some time, believing it belonged to both of them, only to later realize she had been deceived. The investigation confirmed the fraud, and a chargesheet was filed in August 2010.
In a detailed and strongly worded verdict, Judge Abdul Bari termed the act as a “calculated betrayal of trust,” stating the accused had acted with deliberate intent to defraud an unsuspecting woman who had placed complete faith in them.
Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo was convicted under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code and sentenced to two years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of ₹5,000. His co-accused, Nazir Ahmad Guroo, was found guilty of abetment under Sections 109 and 420 RPC and handed the same punishment.
In case of non-payment of the fine, both convicts will serve an additional six months of simple imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently.
Additional Public Prosecutor Vikas Kumar represented the state in the case. (Agencies)
