Six Charged in Rs 47 Lakh Property Fraud Involving Retired Inspector

Panchkula police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against six individuals, including a retired inspector from Haryana Roadways, for allegedly defrauding a former assistant commissioner of police (ACP) of Rs 47 lakh in a property scam involving a forged will. The accused are identified as Bharat Pal, the retired inspector, along with his relatives Arti Devi, Nayab Singh, and Sukhvinder Kaur, as well as practicing advocate Raj Kumar Bhatia and Kulwinder Singh Puhal.

The alleged fraud targeted Surender Singh, a resident of Subhash Nagar, Manimajra, who served as ACP in Panchkula from 2022 to 2023. Singh was reportedly persuaded to purchase a house in Sector 26, Panchkula, based on a fabricated will dated July 30, 2021, which falsely claimed that the property was executed in favor of one Alka Thakur. The accused offered the property at a discounted rate of Rs 2 crore, convincing Singh to transfer Rs 53.05 lakh through a combination of bank transfers and cash payments between August 2023 and January 2024.

Upon later investigation, Singh discovered that the property in question did not legally belong to the accused and that the will was indeed forged. Following this revelation, Singh filed multiple complaints between June 2024 and August 2025; however, no FIR was registered during that period. It was not until the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) intervened that a detailed investigation was conducted, leading to the eventual registration of the case.

The FIR indicates that a total of Rs 47.05 lakh was misappropriated from Singh. Assistant Sub-Inspector Pardeep Kumar of the EOW has been designated as the investigating officer for this case. Police officials have confirmed that the investigation remains active, with further actions pending a thorough examination of both financial and legal documents associated with the case.

This incident underscores the need for vigilance in property transactions, particularly in dealings that involve significant sums and legal documentation. As the case progresses, authorities are expected to scrutinize the roles of each accused party and their connections to the alleged fraud.