Shopian : Shopian Police have arrested a conman for duping a local resident of ₹5.40 lakh by falsely promising to secure the release of his brother from police custody at Police Station Zainapora.
According to police, a complaint was received on 04 January 2026 via WhatsApp from Asif Ahmad Parrah, son of Mohd Maqbool Parrah, a resident of Humhuna, Zainapora. The complainant alleged that the accused, identified as Sajad Ahmad Bhat, son of Gh Hassan Bhat of Mundoora, Tral, fraudulently took a huge sum of money from him on the pretext of arranging the release of his brother.
The complainant’s brother, Umer Maqbool, had been lawfully arrested in connection with FIR No. 108/2025 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act, registered at Police Station Zainapora. Taking advantage of the family’s distress, the accused falsely claimed to be a government employee and asserted that he had sufficient influence to ensure the release, thereby cheating the complainant.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, Police Station Shopian registered E-FIR No. 03/2026 under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During the investigation, police have recovered ₹1.50 lakh from the accused so far. The accused has been taken into custody, and efforts are underway to recover the remaining amount. Further investigation is in progress.
Police have advised the general public to remain vigilant and avoid individuals who make false claims of influence or promise illegal favours. Such incidents should be immediately reported to the nearest police station.
