early times report
Jammu, Oct 25: In a significant development, the Court of Ms. Pooja Raina, Sub Judge/Special Mobile Magistrate, Udhampur, has directed the Station House Officer (SHO), Police Station Udhampur, to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Dina Nath, Chairman of Block Development Council (BDC), Majalta, for his alleged involvement in preparing fake membership slips of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), including that of Harsh Dev Singh who claims to have joined JKNPP through Dina Nath.
The directive was issued under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) in Case No. 796/2025 titled Balwan Singh vs. SHO Police Station Udhampur. The court found prima facie evidence of cognizable offences under Sections 417, 419, 420, 403, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, relating to cheating, forgery, and criminal misappropriation.
The order came in response to aa application filed by Balwan Singh, General Secretary of JKNPP (Bhim), who alleged that Dina Nath, while serving as BDC Chairman, Majalta, had fraudulently projected himself as the Provincial General Secretary of JKNPP—a post he never held—and illegally collected membership fees from over 120 individuals in February 2023 by preparing fake membership slips of the party. Among the forged documents was a fabricated membership slip falsely showing Harsh Dev Singh as having been enrolled by Dina Nath as a member of JKNPP on February 18, 2023.
According to the complaint, Dina Nath not only forged party membership slips but also misappropriated the funds collected in the name of the party, failing to deposit them with the official headquarters. The applicant stated that repeated representations to the SHO and later to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Udhampur, yielded no action, compelling him to approach the court.
After analysing the application and the police inquiry report, the Hon’ble Court observed that the allegations disclosed clear elements of forgery and cheating and emphasized that justice required independent judicial direction rather than reliance solely on the police report. Consequently, the Court ordered the SHO, Police Station Udhampur, to register an FIR and begin a thorough investigation without delay. The said FIR delivers a serious jolt to Harsh Dev Singh’s claim that Dina Nath enrolled him as a member of JKNPP on 18.02.2023. |
