Budgam, Oct 05 (KNO): Budgam Police have unearthed a major job and government-subsidy fraud syndicate allegedly operating since 2019, with the suspected fraud amounting to over Rs 2 crore. Two persons, including a practising advocate, have been arrested in connection with the scam.
Addressing a press conference here, SSP Budgam KK Hariprasad as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the investigation so far indicates that the network had been operating for nearly seven years and allegedly cheated people by promising government jobs, Special Police Officer (SPO) appointments, government subsidies, foreign university admissions and other lucrative opportunities.
The two arrested accused have been identified as Firdous Nabi, a resident of Zabgula, Beerwah, and Advocate Jehangir Ahmad Dar, resident of Rathsuna, Beerwah, the SSP said.
He said the case came to light after a complaint was received at Police Station Beerwah on August 17, 2026, alleging that Firdous Nabi had taken around ₹3 lakh on the promise of securing an SPO appointment through a government order.
“The complainant had produced a purported appointment/recommendation letter allegedly issued in the name of the Union Home Secretary and addressed to the Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir. The document contained a list of around 10-12 persons recommended for appointment as SPOs,” the SSP said, adding, “Police initially conducted a preliminary inquiry to establish the authenticity of the document, which was subsequently converted into FIR No. 183/2026 at Police Station Beerwah. Firdous Nabi was arrested, and during the investigation, the alleged involvement of Jehangir Ahmad Dar also surfaced, following which he too was arrested.”
“The investigation subsequently widened after another complainant alleged being duped of around ₹6.5 lakh on the promise of a government subsidy. Police then raided the rented accommodation of Jehangir Ahmad Dar at Nanak Nagar in Jammu, where several items were seized, including purported fake government orders, stamps, 12 ATM cards, blank Jammu and Kashmir Bank letterheads, multiple identity cards, passports and visa-related documents, besides other material suspected to have been used in the alleged fraud,” he said, adding, “One of the significant recoveries was a diary allegedly containing details of financial transactions, including the names of persons from whom money had allegedly been received and the purpose for which the money was taken.”
Police also recovered material indicating that money allegedly obtained through the fraud may have been channelled into other businesses.
The SSP said the investigation has revealed a wider modus operandi in which the accused allegedly first established contact with people by offering assistance with their grievances and government-related matters.
“Jehangir, being a practising advocate and having familiarity with people visiting the Civil Secretariat and other government offices, allegedly used such contacts to gain the confidence of prospective victims. The accused would allegedly initially take smaller amounts from people and, in some cases, return the money if the promised work was not completed,” the SSP said, adding, “This was allegedly done to build trust before demanding larger sums on the pretext that an appointment order or government approval had been secured.”
The SSP said that the accused would share purported government documents with victims through WhatsApp's 'view once' feature, making it difficult for recipients to retain copies, while using the documents to convince them that their appointment or government benefit was being processed.
“During the investigation, police received multiple additional complaints from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. In one case, a complainant was allegedly duped of around ₹2.3 lakh on the promise of securing admission to a foreign university. Another complainant alleged being cheated of around ₹15 lakh on the promise of securing two jobs, while another complaint involved an alleged fraud of around ₹27 lakh on the promise of two different jobs, including an executive-level position and a nursing job” the SSP said.
He said the victims were not limited to Budgam. One of the complaints originated from Pulwama, while further complaints are being received from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“On October 3, another complaint was received regarding a purported fake SPO appointment order. A Zero FIR was initially registered at Police Station Beerwah and subsequently transferred to Police Station Budgam, where FIR No. 290/2026 has been registered,” the SSP said, adding, “The alleged fraud was not restricted to financially well-off individuals even the people from economically weaker sections were also targeted.”
He cited the example of daily-wage workers who were allegedly made to pay money on the promise of assistance, with the accused allegedly collecting substantial amounts from such persons.
Responding to questions regarding the purported Ministry of Home Affairs communication recommending SPO appointments, SSP Hariprasad said the investigation so far indicates that the document was completely fabricated by members of the alleged syndicate.
He said similar purported letters were recovered during the raid in Jammu.
The SSP said that at this stage, the investigation has not revealed any involvement of government offices in the preparation of the fake documents.
Police also recovered a purported Bar Association stamp from the Jammu premises. The SSP said it was yet to be established whether the stamp was forged or whether the accused was authorised to possess or use it, adding that the concerned Bar Association had been approached for verification.
The SSP said the investigation is still at an initial stage and that the two arrested persons are not believed to represent the entire network.
He said police are working to identify and trace other members of the alleged syndicate and that more arrests are expected as the investigation progresses. “We are also examining the possibility of the network having linkages outside Jammu and Kashmir and potentially beyond the country, particularly in view of the recovery of passports and other related material which has been seized by police.”
The SSP said the network appears to have gradually expanded its operations over the years—from smaller transactions to allegedly duping people of large sums.
He said police have so far made a rough assessment of more than Rs 2 crore as the amount involved in the alleged fraud, but the figure could increase substantially as the investigation progresses and financial transactions are traced.
Regarding the political background of one of the accused, the SSP said police would restrict its briefing to the alleged criminal involvement and would deal with the accused strictly according to law, irrespective of their political or other affiliations.
The investigation is continuing, with police examining financial records, documents and other material seized during the searches, while efforts are underway to identify additional victims and alleged members of the syndicate—(KNO)