Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau.
IG Kumaon dissolves earlier SIT over lax probe; reconstituted team launches crackdown on accused and illegal assets
In a major breakthrough against organised land fraud in Kumaon, the police have arrested the alleged mastermind of a syndicate accused of duping innocent people of over ₹25 crore through fraudulent land and financial dealings spread across several years.
The accused, identified as Dhananjay Giri, was arrested by the reconstituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 21 as part of an intensified crackdown on the organised racket operating in the Kumaon region.
Police officials said that since 2018, at least nine FIRs have been registered in connection with the fraud, while complaints from nearly 15 to 20 additional victims are still pouring in at the range office. Three major cases are presently under intensive investigation.
Considering the magnitude and sensitivity of the case, an SIT headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police, Haldwani, was initially constituted on November 4, 2025. However, after the earlier SIT allegedly failed to take effective legal action, Kumaon IG Riddhim Agrawal took strict cognisance of the matter and dissolved the team with immediate effect on April 17, 2026.
Subsequently, a fresh SIT was formed under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police, Udham Singh Nagar, Ajay Ganpati and headed by Superintendent of Police (Crime and Traffic) Jitendra Chaudhary.
Officials said the newly constituted SIT carried out sustained ground-level operations before successfully apprehending the accused.
“The investigation has clearly established that the accused were operating as part of a well-organised syndicate with the objective of generating illegal financial gains through systematic fraud,” police said.
The police have also invoked Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), dealing with organised crime, against the accused. Authorities have simultaneously initiated proceedings under Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to identify and freeze illegally acquired properties linked to the syndicate.
Police said efforts are underway to ensure that the seized assets are eventually distributed proportionately among the victims to compensate for their losses.
The administration has also written to the Nainital district authorities seeking an immediate ban on the transfer or sale of the identified properties to prevent any attempt at illegal disposal of assets.
