Lucknow, September 3, 2025 – It’s heartbreaking to see how crooks are ruining the hopes of ordinary people looking for a roof over their heads. In Lucknow, a fresh scam has come to light where fraudsters, pretending to be officials from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), have cheated 18 innocent people out of nearly ₹26.40 lakh. The conversation revolves around affordable flats under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), built on government land in the upscale Dalibagh area that was once grabbed by the late mafia don Mukhtar Ansari. Even though the registration for these flats hasn’t even started yet, scammers are already pocketing money with fake promises.
The main culprit in this mess is Mohammad Talib, who posed as an LDA employee to pull off the dirty trick. He targeted desperate families under the Basant Kunj scheme, which is part of the same PMAY push on the reclaimed Dalibagh plot. Talib started by charging ₹55,000 per person for what he called “registration certificates.” Once they bit, he hit them again for the next installment, squeezing out ₹1.10 lakh each. Fifteen victims transferred ₹9.90 lakh via UPI to his bank account, and in return, he handed over phony documents. Then came the big one – another ₹16.50 lakh for the “final installment.” But guess what? No flats, no possession, just empty promises and vanishing acts.
When the victims realized they’d been had and went to the LDA office to complain, the truth came out fast. Turns out, there’s no Mohammad Talib working at LDA, and all those papers were bogus. LDA Vice Chairman Prathamesh Kumar ordered an immediate probe, and once it confirmed the fraud, an FIR was filed at Gomtinagar police station. “We take these complaints seriously,” Kumar said. “People must apply only through official channels – no shortcuts or middlemen.” The police are now hunting for Talib, who seems to have gone underground after the scam.
This isn’t just about Basant Kunj; the fraud ties back to the high-profile Dalibagh project. Remember, that 22,000 square feet of prime land was cleared of illegal structures owned by Ansari’s family back in 2020. It was “evacuee property” from Partition days, meant for government use, but Ansari’s sons Abbas and Umar had claimed it through shady inheritance papers. After a tough demolition drive with police backup, the Uttar Pradesh government under CM Yogi Adityanath turned it into a symbol of change – building 72 EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) 2BHK flats in two four-storey blocks. Each flat costs between ₹9 lakh and ₹9.5 lakh now, up from earlier estimates due to inflation, and allotments will happen via a fair lottery system starting soon – probably next month.
But scammers smelled opportunity in the hype. In a related twist, fraudsters even forged allotment letters in the name of Rahul Dhanuk, a slum dweller near VIP Guest House in Hazratganj, for the Dalibagh flats. They set up fake registration challans before the real process kicked off. An FIR has been lodged in that case too, showing how deep this web goes. LDA officials are warning everyone: “Registration isn’t open yet for Dalibagh. Stick to our portal or offices, and report any suspicious calls or deals right away.”
This scam hits hard because these flats were meant to give low-income families a shot at dignity in a fancy neighborhood once ruled by crime. Ansari, who died in March 2024 while in jail, left behind a trail of such disputes – his son Umar was arrested just last month in August 2025 for forging documents to grab back seized family assets, including hints at this very land. His mother Afshan is still on the run with a ₹50,000 reward. While not directly tied to the flat fraud, it all stirs up the old mafia shadows, making people wary.
Experts say these cons are rampant in government housing drives because of the buzz and lack of awareness. One victim, speaking anonymously, shared, “We saved for years dreaming of a proper home. Now we’re back to square one, but we’ll fight to get our money back.” Police are digging deeper, checking if Talib has accomplices or if this links to bigger rings.
For families eyeing these flats, the message is clear- Stay smart, verify everything, and let the lottery decide. Turning mafia land into homes for the needy is a win, but only if we keep the crooks out.
