Kashmir Economic Offences Wing Files Chargesheet in Massive ₹30 Lakh Livestock Fraud Case

SRINAGAR, DECEMBER 27, 2025: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Kashmir has officially filed a chargesheet against an individual involved in a sophisticated livestock scam that defrauded a businessman of lakhs of rupees.

The chargesheet was presented before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, naming Muneer Ahmad Kataria, a resident of Baramulla, as the primary accused. The case, registered under FIR No. 17/2023, includes grave charges under Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents as genuine) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

The investigation began following a formal complaint from a livestock trader who alleged that he had been systematically cheated during a business transaction involving cattle and sheep. According to the EOW, the accused induced the complainant to supply livestock by falsely claiming the purchase was part of a Government ST Quota Scheme.

To gain the trader’s initial trust, the accused made small partial payments before eventually issuing several cheques totaling ₹30 lakh. However, these cheques were subsequently dishonoured due to insufficient funds, and the promised government-backed payments never materialized, resulting in a devastating financial loss for the victim.

A detailed probe by the Crime Branch revealed a calculated modus operandi where Kataria allegedly used misleading agreements and fake assurances of welfare scheme procurement to misappropriate the livestock. By documenting evidence of these fraudulent agreements and the trail of dishonoured cheques, the EOW established that the accused intentionally caused wrongful gain to himself and wrongful loss to the supplier.

With the formal submission of the chargesheet, the case now moves to the judicial determination stage to bring the accused to justice.