Thaindian News

Shimla, Nov 2 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh High Court has denied bail to two men, arrested for allegedly duping people of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of helping them buy land in the hill state, saying that their leader and conwoman was still to be arrested.

Pooja, who impersonated as a Himachal Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, and her four accomplices allegedly duped many people, including two Chandigarh-based doctors, with promises of enabling them to buy land in the hill state. They also allegedly committed frauds with Chandigarh banks.

“Pooja Sharma, the brain behind the conspiracy, has gone underground and she is to be arrested,” Justice Kuldip Singh said while denying bail to Mohit Sharma and Parveen Kumar.

The accused lured victims by offering help to bypass rules prohibiting people from other states from buying land in Himachal Pradesh.

“The allegations against the petitioners are very serious. The petitioners in connivance with Pooja have duped the complainant (a Chandigarh doctor) of Rs.4,500,000. Pooja impersonated as an IAS officer…It has been stated on behalf of the investigating agency that several recoveries are to be made from the petitioners,” the court said in an order made available Wednesday.

While Pooja claimed to be a recently-recruited IAS officer, Mohit used to claim that he was a lecturer in a government college in Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh police said.

They also allegedly duped several people in Ludhiana in Punjab and Solan and Una districts in the hill state.

Apart from Mohit Sharma and Parveen Kumar, police have arrested one more person in the case.