GB Home Minister Shams Lone gets legal notice on fraud charges

GILGIT: A private limited company has served a legal notice on Gilgit-Baltistan Home Minister Shams Lone, accusing him of defrauding and deceiving his partner and non-payment of outstanding dues from a rare herbs deal.

According to the legal notice issued from the office of the legal team of LONE & COMPANY (SMC-Private) Limited, Shams Lone had an outstanding debt of Rs1,350,000 to the company’s CEO, Farooq Ahmed Lone, related to a trade transaction in 2018. The notice states that as per the current value, this amount has escalated to Rs3,086,000.

The notice details that in 2018, Shams Lone was involved in the trade of a rare herb “Doodh Warsh” from Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan, which was exported to India for the production of aphrodisiacs.

During this period, a business deal was struck between Shams Lone and Farooq Ahmed Lone, facilitated by Zia Khalid Farooq Lone, the owner of the renowned business entity, Lyota Rawal Company.

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Three months post-agreement, Shams Lone reportedly delivered two tons of raw herbs to Farooq Ahmed Lone in Rawalpindi using government vehicles. At the time, the herb’s value was approximately Rs15 million. Farooq Lone paid an initial sum of Rs500,000 in cash and issued a cheque for the remaining Rs3.1 million, drawn from UBL Bank, cheque number 07679320, at the residence of Lyota Rawal Company’s owner.

The notice further alleges that Farooq Lone stored the raw herbs in a hotel room in Rawalpindi, preparing them for sale. However, Shams Lone allegedly broke into the hotel room, stealing the bags of herbs, and transporting them to Lahore.

Subsequently, he allegedly sold the herbs to Farooq Lone’s buyer, Muhammad Naeem, in Lahore, fraudulently pocketing the entire amount, including an additional profit of Rs800,000.

Since then, Shams Lone has reportedly been evading contact. The legal notice demands that Shams Lone settle the outstanding amount with Farooq Ahmed Lone within ten days of receiving the notice. Failure to comply will result in the initiation of criminal proceedings and further legal action in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Lahore.

The legal notice underscored the seriousness of the situation and the potential legal consequences if the payment is not made promptly.

In response to the legal notice, HUM News English reached out to Shams Lone for comment. He admitted that he knew Farooq Ahmed Lone but dismissed him as a fraudster, stating, “He is not at my level.” Shams Lone declined to comment further on the matter.