Fight over dead Indian’s assets unfolds

A WITNESS has testified that he does not know anything about late Harbans Singh’s second will, which is alleged to have been forged by the dead man’s daughter and her husband.

This is in a case Pakizah Khan, 54, and her husband Mohammed Khan have been charged with forgery, depriving beneficiaries of their entitlement, and obtaining US$29,000 by false pretences.

Particulars of offence in the first count are that the couple, of house number 9565 Isunga Road in Kamwala, on September 29, 2016, with intent to deceive or defraud, allegedly forged the Will in the names of Harbans Singh (the deceased) by purporting to show that it was issued by the late Mr. Singh when in fact not.

In the second count, particulars are that on February 24, 2017 Mohammed Khan, knowingly and fraudulently, allegedly uttered the false Will in the names of Harbans Singh to Lusaka High Court assistant Registrar Francis Chulu.

In count three it is alleged that Mohammed Khan on March 20, 2017, in Lusaka, with intent to defraud or deceive, allegedly obtained

US$29,856.74 from account number 0011031001369 held at Indo Zambia Bank by falsely pretending that he was an administrator of the estate of Harbans Singh when in fact not.

In the fourth count, it is alleged that Khan between March 1, 2017 and March 31, 2017 deprived Varinder Singh and Gangadeep Singh of their entitlement, namely farm number 10350 and L/18812/M in Chibombo, the estate of their late grandfather.

When the case came up for continued trial before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale, the witness Ameijaed Jurachaini Singh, 78, a farmer of Chisamba, said he and another Indian only identified as Virdi witnessed Mr. Harbans Singh sign his first Will on May 2, 2016.

He said he and Mr. Virdi also signed on the document as witnesses. In cross- examination by defence lawyer Lubinda Linyama, the witness said he was told by Mr. Harbans Singh’s daughter-in-law that the deceased had executed another Will in India where he died.

“I don’t know anything and circumstances about the Will Mr. Singh signed in India,” he said. Trial continues next month.