Couple booked again for forgery, cheating

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 9

A con couple from the city, already facing more than 12 criminal cases of fraud and cheating in northern states, has again been booked by the local police for forgery and cheating. The duo used fake documents to first procure a loan to buy a vehicle and later sell it using fake documents, despite accepting money from another buyer.

The police have booked the accused under section 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 474 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. They have been identified as Ashu Singh, alias Parveet Kathuria, and his wife Monika Kathuria, who runs a fashion designing institute. They are residents of Majithia Enclave in the city.

The police said the couple allegedly took Rs6.35 lakh from a Patiala resident for an SUV. However, they sold off the SUV to another person by forging documents. The complainant, Sukhwinder Singh, alleged that the couple struck a deal with him for the SUV. However, it came to the fore later on that the couple had purchased the car on loan. They raised the loan from a private bank by submitting fake documents. Later on, one of the accused allegedly forged her ID card and struck a deal with the victim, but sold the vehicle off to another person.

“Monika Kathuria forged her voter ID card and changed her husband’s name from Parveet Kathuria to Ashu Singh,” said the police.

Civil Lines SHO Gurpreet Bhinder said they were investigating more than a dozen more cases registered against the couple. “We are investigating the case and we have come to know that there are many other cases against them too,” he said. “Raids are on and they will soon be arrested. Our teams are in the field,” he said.

Earlier in 2018, Kathuria was arrested for allegedly cheating a local youth on the pretext of sending him abroad. According to the 2018 FIR filed against him, Parveet and his wife Monika Kathuria, both residents of Majithia Enclave here, allegedly cheated Bimal Kaur, a resident of Cheeka in Haryana. The duo allegedly took Rs8.65 lakh from the complainant, assuring her of sending her son, Devinder Singh, abroad. During investigation and subsequent arrest of Parveet, the police came to know about the other cases registered against the duo.