SRINAGAR: The Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Jammu, has filed a chargesheet against four persons in an alleged fraudulent procurement of Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) through fabricated census records and lineage details.
According to an official handout, the chargesheet was submitted before the Additional Sessions Judge, Anti-Corruption Court, Jammu, in connection with FIR No. 11/2013 registered under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the RPC, read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case stemmed from a complaint alleging that Lakhan Singh, originally a West Pakistan refugee from Sialkot, had fraudulently obtained PRCs for himself and his family after moving from Punjab to Jammu. He was accused of manipulating census records and lineage details in connivance with revenue officials.
The investigation further revealed that the allegedly fraudulent certificates were used by his sons, Prem Singh and Prabhakar Singh, to secure benefits. Prem Singh allegedly obtained government employment in the Estates Department, while Prabhakar Singh used the documents to contest and serve two terms as a Sarpanch.
The Crime Branch said the main accused, Lakhan Singh, a retired employee of the Power Development Department (PDD), and Sat Paul Gupta, the then Tehsildar Jammu, had both died.
However, investigators established the alleged involvement of the surviving accused, Prem Singh, a retired Estates Department employee, and Prabhakar Singh, a former Sarpanch.
The chargesheet has been filed against all four accused for judicial proceedings.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch EOW Jammu, has urged people to remain vigilant against economic offences and report such incidents to the Crime Branch.
