Man, declared dead, loses home

Elderly victim alleges official involvement in fraud

RAWALPINDI:

A striking case of alleged property fraud against a vulnerable citizen has come to light, involving the use of a forged death certificate to seize valuable assets.

A 65-year-old man, Sagheer Shah, who had been serving a five-year sentence in a narcotics case, claims he was falsely declared dead by suspects who subsequently usurped his property.

According to Sagheer Shah, son of Feroz Shah, several years ago he was convicted and imprisoned. During his incarceration, suspects identified as Nauman Iqbal and Muhammad Iqbal—residents of Gawalmandi—allegedly deceived his underage daughter, Shaneez Bukhari, into signing documents under the pretext of filing bail and an appeal.

He further alleged that the suspects fraudulently procured a death certificate from Union Council 37, Dhok Dalal, falsely declaring him deceased. The forged document was reportedly supported by a written statement attributed to a gravedigger.

Using the fake death certificate, the accused allegedly transferred ownership of his 4.5-marla house located in Millatabad, Dhok Banaras—valued at Rs12 million—for a mere Rs2.6m. The property was then swiftly transferred to a relative of the suspects.

Upon his release, Sagheer Shah returned home only to discover that his house had been sold and he had been forcibly evicted. When he approached the Union Council (UC) office with the death certificate, officials were reportedly taken aback to find him alive, raising serious concerns about the issuance of the fraudulent document.