Srinagar, 21 June (H.S.): Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar has refused to grant bail to two accused involved in cheating the general masses in multi-crore land scam.

The Presiding Officer of CJM Court-Adil Mushtaq rejected bail plea of Sheikh Ghulam Jeelani and Sheikh Showkat Ahmad both residents of Ellahi Bagh Srinagar in FIR registered with Police Station Rajbagh Srinagar for duping and defrauding a number of people by parting with their money for purchase of land.

The court in rejection order said, “it appears to be a multi-million scam, where honest purchasers have been lured by shiny advertisements to purchase land”.

“In the facts and circumstances of the case I am of the considered opinion that this is a fit case for invoking exception to the general rule”, the CJM said.

The court in its order has recorded that an attempt has been made to deceive people and distort the faith of the public in the criminal justice system which otherwise prompts court to refuse to exercise discretion for granting bail in favour of accused.

The court added that it as a foot soldier of an august institution cannot lose sight of the observation of Additional District and Sessions Judge Srinagar in his order dated 05.06.2025 and the fact is that High Court is also seized of the matter.

The background of the case is that the FIR has been lodged on the complaint of one Abdul Rehman Dar in the year 2022, however subsequently other complainants were filed with regard to fraud played with them by the accused persons by duping their hard earned money.

“It is no one’s case before the court that the complainants have not been duped and defrauded to part with their hard earned money for purchase of land and it appears to be a multimillion scam, where honest purchasers have been lured by shiny advertisements to purchase land”, read the court order.

The court while refusing to grant bail to the accused persons said the allegations against the accused are heinous and need to be investigated properly as public money is involved in the matter.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar