Tricksters try to grab dead Padma awardee's property

The soaring rates of real estate in the Capital have thrown open windows of opportunities for unscrupulous elements who are using all tricks possible to grabproperty. Karn Pratap Singh reports.

The soaring rates of real estate in the Capital have thrown open windows of opportunities for unscrupulous elements who are using all tricks possible to grab property.

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The latest case of grabbing property illegally was reported from south Delhi's posh Vasant Kunj area, where some people attempted to take ownership of a flat worth over R2.5 crore using forged documents.

The flat, which according to police was locked for over 10 years, belongs to late Dr Hemlata Gupta, a Padma Bhushan awardee and former director and head of medicine at Lady Hardinge Medical College. She was found murdered at her Karol Bagh residence in May 2006.

Police said that there had been similar unsuccessful attempts in the past by notorious property dealers to get hold of Gupta's property, which currently does not has a legal beneficiary.

Gupta was unmarried and all her brothers and sisters had also died. She was murdered at the age of 62 and her case is still unsolved, police said.

According to a senior police officer, the latest attempt to grab Gupta's flat was made by one Kaushalya Rani and her associates, who had apparently sold the flat to one Ramneek Aggarwal using forged documents.

The original documents are in the custody of the investigating officer of the Prasad Nagar police station, who is investigating the murder case.

The matter came to light some days ago when some of Gupta's neighbours informed the police that some people were illegally trespassing into her flat, the officer said.

"The locks of the flat were found broken when the police reached there, the people responsible for it claimed that they were the owners of the property. Kaushalya Rani, who claimed that she was the current owner of the property, told us that she had purchased the property from its bonafide owner, Gupta. Rani later sold the flat to Aggarwal," said the officer, adding that Rani produced fake documents pertaining to sale and purchase of the property.

"The accused were keeping an eye on Gupta's property. We have registered a criminal case against her and her associates," added the officer.