Raipur Rani police have arrested a self-styled spiritual guru for allegedly cheating a man of nearly Rs10 lakh under the pretext of facilitating khair tree cutting.
The accused, identified as Krishna Nand alias Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Bhoj Ponta in Panchkula, was apprehended on March 20 from Kharar, Punjab. His associate, Amit from Ambala, is still absconding.
According to police, Krishna Nand and Amit allegedly duped complainant Harshit Singla of Yamunanagar in 2021. The victim was convinced that a plot of land was dispute-free and suitable for khair tree cutting. Based on this assurance, he paid a substantial sum via cash and cheques.
It later emerged that the land was under a stay order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and the forest department had not issued any permission for tree cutting.
During the investigation, police seized agreement papers, bank statements, and other relevant documents. Krishna Nand had been evading investigators for a long time and ignored multiple notices. Upon arrest, he claimed that the money had been hidden in Neelkanth and Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
A court granted a three-day police remand for further questioning as authorities continue efforts to locate and apprehend Amit.
