JAMMU: Director General of Police, J&K, Nalin Prabhat, on Tuesday visited Police Station Nagrota to preside over the function organised by Jammu Police to distribute Rs 1.53 Cr among 22 victims of Rs 2.39 Cr job scam.

He was accompanied by IGP Jammu Zone, B.S. Tuti, IPS; DIG JSK, Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, and SSP Jammu, Joginder Singh. The event was attended by officers from the Army, CRPF, civil administration, along with Zonal SPs of Jammu, all SDPOs of District Jammu, and SHOs of the Rural Zone.

SSP Jammu Joginder Singh and SP Rural Jammu Brijesh Sharma briefed the audience regarding this sensational case including quality and quick investigation done by team of Jammu Police headed by SHO Nagrota, Inspector Parvez Sajad under the supervision of SDPO Nagrota and SP Rural, to ensure speedy and timely justice to the victims of Job scam by outstanding utilisation of Victim Centric provisions available under New Criminal Laws-2023.

In a landmark action under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Jammu Police has successfully executed its first-ever property attachment in a high-profile job fraud case, resulting in the recovery and refund of Rs 1.53 cr to victims.

This milestone reflects the victim centric approach embodied in India's new criminal justice reforms.

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 crores by falsely promising them jobs in prestigious government institutions such as MES, MoD, and DRDO.

The fraud came to light when Arun Sharma, a resident of Nagrota, filed a complaint on 6 November 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 (Suriender wife) and the accused's mother, Paramjeet Kour to the tune of Rs 2 crores, 22 lakh & 50 thousand for the purchase of Double story Duplex building constructed over 08 Marlas of land in Channi Bheja, Tehsil Bahu Fort Jammu.

Moreover, an amount of Rs 1,93,50,000 was received by Suriender Singh(CoAccused) and his wife from accused Harpreet through online transactions and cash. The amount paid by accused Harpreet Singh was proceeds of crime collected from innocent victims in lieu of providing Govt. Job.

Acting on a police plea, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, passed an attachment order on 18th January 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.

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 crores 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 crores within two months. Moreover, an amount of Rs 40,50,000 which is disputed amount can be proved only during trial.

The Court ruled that the attachment order shall remain in effect until the admitted amount is 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. In the first instance, recovered amount of Rs 75 lakh has been distributed equally among 17 victims through cheques and today recovered amount of Rs 78 lakh has been distributed equally among 22 victims through cheques. Till date, total amount of Rs1.53 cr has been distributed to the victims.

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. The case was meticulously investigated by Inspector Parvez Sajad (SHO Nagrota), under the supervision of DySP Vinod Kundal (SDPO Nagrota), with overall oversight by SP Rural Brijesh Sharma and SSP Jammu Joginder Singh.

Legal assistance was provided by Senior Prosecuting Officer Altaf Wahid, DPO Jammu and Financial expertise provided by Account Officer, kamal Bhagat.

IGP Jammu Zone, B.S. Tuti, also congratulated the team of Jammu Police and urged them to maintain the same level of professionalism, commitment, and public service in the future.

Speaking on the occasion, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, reaffirmed his force's unwavering commitment to justice, guided by the core principle of "not touching the innocent and not sparing the guilty", as laid down by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

He said the new laws enacted by the government are gradually being implemented on the ground and are built around a victim-centric approach. The DGP highlighted the role played by police in its outreach initiatives to people in difficulties. "We do our utmost to reach out to those who are oppressed, distressed or in pain.

In whatever way possible, we try to help them and for those who have no support, we stand with them in addressing all their problems," he said.

Highlighting the multifaceted demands of policing, the DGP likened the duties of the force to achieving excellence across disciplines. "I often tell my team to aim high - like winning a Nobel Prize in Physics, a gold medal in Mathematics or earning a PhD from a top university. We must be ready to play every role and become instruments of real change," he said.

He also underlined that no problem in society is disconnected from police work and said it is the mission of police to ensure justice in all such matters. "It has always been the mission of police to deliver justice in one way or another. Just as it is the duty of police to bring justice to any individual or section of the society in distress, it is equally the society's responsibility to support police in their efforts," he added.

Referring to a recent case where fraudsters promised jobs in exchange for money, the DGP called it a "clear-cut case of cheating" and urged the public to stay vigilant. "Why do we often slip on the same banana peel? Why don't we open our eyes before the damage is done?" he asked.

He also said that crime is an unfortunate reality that can't be entirely eliminated even with societal awareness. "The first line of defense against crime is society itself. Citizens must stay alert and responsible," he said.

The DGP reiterated that police has always stood by people and will continue to do so in every fight - be it against drugs, gangsters, general crime or terrorism. "Every day is a test for police and every day we must deliver results worthy of the highest medals," he asserted. Commenting on recent legal reforms, DGP said the government has enacted new laws that are gradually being implemented on the ground. "These laws are built around a victim-centric approach. The aim is to quickly nab the culprits, seize their properties and deliver timely justice to victims," he added.

DGP Nalin Prabhat congratulated the Jammu Police team for this significant achievement and encouraged all officers and personnel to continue striving for excellence in the implementation of New Criminal Laws-2023 to ensure timely and speedy justice to the victims of Crime.

DGP J&K lauded the exceptional performance of Investigating team of Police Station Nagrota led by SHO Nagrota Parvez Sajad and supervisory officers SDPO Nagrota Vinod Kundal, and SP Rural Brijesh Sharma, and the leadership of SSP Jammu Joginder Singh.

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.