Srinagar: The Special Crime Wing of Crime Branch Kashmir (CBK) on Saturday morning launched coordinated raids at several locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts as part of an investigation into a major cheating and forgery case. The operation, which involved multiple teams, targeted the premises of individuals suspected to be linked with an organized fraud racket.
According to officials, the searches were carried out in connection with FIR No. 05/2025 registered at the Special Crime Wing. The case has been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR, registered earlier this year, pertains to allegations of large-scale forgery of documents for financial and business gains.
Teams from CBK’s Special Crime Wing executed search warrants at multiple sites after obtaining clearance from a competent court. Locations raided fall under the jurisdiction of Bemina, Saddar, Karan Nagar, and Kralkhud police stations in Srinagar, along with several places in Budgam district.
One of the houses searched was the residence of Farooq Ahmad Bhat, at Owaisabad Bemina. Officials confirmed that documents and materials suspected to be incriminating were recovered from the premises. In Karan Nagar, a house belonging to Shahid Khanyari, was also searched. Khanyari, a handicraft businessman by profession and owner of a Hotel in the area, was among those under investigation.
A team, executed the warrant in Karan Nagar. Local police, provided assistance during the search. Officials said the exercise was conducted lawfully and without disturbance to the public.
“The raids are part of our broader effort to uncover the full extent of the fraud. We are examining the seized documents and materials to establish their evidentiary value,” a senior CBK official told KNT. The officer added that such cases often involve multiple actors working in coordination, which is why searches at different locations were necessary.
Sources said the searches are still ongoing at several sites and more premises could come under scrutiny in the coming days. The operation has been described as one of the most extensive in recent months, with multiple police station jurisdictions in Srinagar and adjoining areas of Budgam covered simultaneously.
Locals in Bemina and Karan Nagar reported seeing teams of CBK personnel arriving in the morning hours and conducting thorough checks inside the targeted houses. Some locals described the presence of officers as unusual for a Saturday morning but said the operation was carried out peacefully and in an organized manner.
Crime Branch Kashmir has, over the years, handled a series of high-profile cases involving fraud, forgery, and financial irregularities. Officials said the agency has been under instructions to intensify its focus on white-collar crimes, which often cause serious economic harm and erode public trust in institutions. [KNT]
