A woman and her friend, convicted of usurping her father’s property by fabricating documents and selling it, have been sentenced to seven years in jail by a city court.
Additional sessions judge Rajeev Bansal awarded the jail term to Niti Sarin and her friend Gulfam Ahmed, residents of East of Kailash here, for conspiring and fabricating the Power of Attorney issued by her father SS Marwah and then selling the property to Gulfam. The court also imposed `35,000 fine each on both of them. The duo, however, was acquitted of charges of murder since Marwah’s body has not been recovered.
“This is an unfortunate case in which a daughter (Niti) conspired with a co-convict to fabricate the Power of Attorney purportedly issued by her father in her name for the purpose of usurping his property and succeeded in her ill design. The convict is an educated woman and the only child of the victim, who was 75 years old when he was reported missing on May 18, 2006,” the judge said in the order. Earlier, they were acquitted of the charge of killing the 75-year-old man as his body could not be recovered.
According to police, Marwah had bequeathed his property in favour of his grandchildren (Niti’s children). And after her husband mysteriously disappeared in 2004, Niti came in contact with Gulfam and hatched a conspiracy to usurp her father’s property by allegedly killing him.
Gulfam, along with accused Ran Singh, Mohd Aarif and Rohtas, had hatched the murder plan, police said. The trio was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence against them. Police said all the accused had killed Marwah on May 16, 2006 and disposed of his body in Gang Nahar in Meerut and thereafter, Niti had lodged a missing report of her father at lajpat Nagar police station. Police had said that efforts were made but Marwah could not be traced.
In February 2009, police received information that Marwah was allegedly killed by Niti, Gulfam and other accused following which they were arrested. During their interrogation, police came to know about the involvement of one J Chawla who was stated to have prepared a forged General Power of Attorney on March 21, 2001 in the name of Niti.
Gulfam then entered into a collaboration agreement with Chawla and thereafter the building was demolished. After fresh construction, the property was sold floor-wise and the forged GPA was destructed, police said.