Jammu: Chargesheet against tour operator for forging letters in name of Sushma Swaraj, Mehbooba Mufti

Pointing out that electronic trails were tracked to reach the blind end in the case, the statement said that documentary, oral, electronic and scientific evidence helped the investigating officer establish charges against the accused. (Representational Image)

The Crime Branch department of Jammu and Kashmir police has filed chargesheets against a local tour operator for preparing and forging priority letters in the name of former External Affairs Minister late Sushma Swaraj and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti so as to get his clients tickets on priority for helicopter ride between Katra and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

According to a statement issued by Crime Branch on Saturday, the accused, identified as Sandeep Koul of Channi Himmat, runs an agency called “Desh Pradesh Tour and Travels”. He had allegedly forged the signatures of Mehbooba Mufti on a fake DO letter to get priority for getting helicopter tickets for his clients from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on April 27-28, 2017, it added.

Initially, the case was registered against an unknown imposter by the Crime Branch following a written complaint from the then Additional Home Secretary, J&K, Khalid Jahangir.

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Pointing out that electronic trails were tracked to reach the blind end in the case, the statement said that documentary, oral, electronic and scientific evidence helped the investigating officer establish charges against the accused.

On Thursday, the Crime Branch had presented chargesheet against Koul in the court of Sub Judge, Katra, for allegedly forging letters of former External Affairs Minister late Sushma Swaraj to get helicopter tickets to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in 2017. Later, he had allegedly sold those tickets to pilgrims in black, it added.