Jewellers, builders fall victim to multi-crore property fraud in Delhi-NCR, accused on the run

A man and his brother-in-law have allegedly duped several jewellers and builders, including the well known Champalal Jewellers, in Delhi-NCR and Dehradun, by forging stamp papers related to multiple properties. Over the course of one decade, the duo has defrauded people for a staggering amount of over Rs 50 crore.

A court has declared them proclaimed offenders and issued a non-bailable warrant against them. However, despite efforts, the police have been unable to locate them for the last two years.

The accused have been identified as Gunveen Singh and his brother-in-law Jitin Pal Singh. As per police records they have seven residencies in Delhi, Gurugram and Dehradun.

A senior police official said that the duo were apprehended by the police a couple of times and even sent to prison but after getting bail they again duped people and now they are absconding.

"We are very well aware about them and police teams are conducting searches to nab them. Raids were conducted on their residences in Gurugram but they were not found," said the official.

According to the FIRs registered at various police stations in West Delhi, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and South Delhi's Mehrauli, under sections of fraud, cheating and criminal breach of trust of the IPC, the duo used to lure the victims, mostly jewellers and builders, after getting friendly with them. They later cheated them on the pretext of getting them residential land for the cheapest price in posh areas including South Delhi's Chattarpur Farms, Sainik Farms, Green Park, Gurugram and Dehradun.

The accused used fake stamp papers and even forged the signature of sub-registrars and the actual owners of the properties.

"Gunveen and Jitin have been involved in fraudulent activities since 2008," said 70-year-old Kuldeep Sugandh, whose son runs a jewellery shop, Sugandh Jewellers, in South Delhi's Safdarjung area and was one of the victims. "Before they defrauded us last year, they used to frequently visit our shop and became regular customers, developing a good relationship."

"However, when we decided to sell our property in Lajwanti Garden and purchase a new property, the accused approached us, claiming to have a property in Green Park," Sugandh explained.

"Due to the high cost of the property in Green Park, we were unable to arrange the necessary funds. The accused then proposed an exchange of properties, showing us the land in Green Park. We agreed to the arrangement, providing them with Rs 2.5 crores, including the token money, and requested them to prepare the sale deed and transfer the land in our name," he said.

"Both Gunveen and Jitin agreed to the terms, and as per the agreement, we transferred our property in their name, which is valued at approximately Rs 12 crores in the market. However, they took possession of our land and presented us with a fake and forged sale deed for the Green Park property," Sugandh added.

"The sale deed they gave us was found to be forged and fabricated. The document at various places contains the stamp and official seal of the office of the Sub Registrar V-A, Hauz Khas, Delhi. It is quite clear that the accused have deliberately and intentionally defrauded and cheated the complainant by offering the property bearing No. G-34, Green Park, New Delhi including receiving payments from the complainant and execution of special power of attorney in December last year and further executing sale deeds dated 29.12.2022 in respect of property bearing No. WZ-315A, Lajwanti Garden, New Delhi which are vitiated by fraud and prima facie illegal," the FIR read, which was registered on the basis of the complaint filed by Sugandh last year.

"The accused persons did so with an intention to acquire wrongful gain for themselves and to cause wrongful loss to the Complainant. The Complainant has recently also learnt that one of the accused Gunveen Singh is also involved in similar cases registered at Mehrauli, Preet Vihar, Bindapur police stations and he is absconding," read the FIR.

"In view of the above, it is clear that the accused persons in collusion with each other have deliberately, in a planned manner, committed various offences against the complainants/investors which require investigation and action by the police," the FIR added.