The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) after 18 individuals were reportedly defrauded of over Rs 26 lakh in a scam involving fake allotment letters for houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the Basant Kunj Yojana. The victims were issued forged allotment letters and registration certificates, which were later found to be fake during verification.
The issue came to light when applicants, unable to take possession of their houses, approached LDA for clarification. Following instructions from LDA Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar, the property department lodged a case at the Gomti Nagar police station to investigate the matter.
Deputy Secretary (PMAY) Atul Krishna Singh reported that the complaint was submitted through the Jan Samasya Nivaran Sansthan. The 18 applicants had been misled by a man presenting himself as an LDA employee, identified as Mohd Talib, who was introduced to them by an associate. Talib promised allotment of houses in Basant Kunj in exchange for payments of Rs 55,000 initially and Rs 1.10 lakh as the next installment. Payments were collected through UPI transactions, totaling more than Rs 26 lakh.
Investigations revealed that no individual named Mohd Talib was employed with LDA and that the documents provided to the victims were entirely fabricated. LDA also clarified that registration for the 72 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats in Dalibagh had not yet started.
LDA officials, including Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar, indicated that PMAY buildings are allocated through a lottery system conducted in the presence of applicants to maintain transparency. They noted that allotments are carried out strictly through official procedures and that no individual can provide houses outside the sanctioned registration process.
Authorities are actively investigating the case to identify all parties involved and recover the defrauded funds. Police have started tracing the UPI transactions through which money was collected from the victims. The FIR has been filed to prevent similar incidents in the future and to raise awareness among applicants about fraudulent practices.
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