11 Booked in Aligarh for Extorting ₹49 Lakh Using Fake Sale Deeds

A brazen real estate fraud has come to light in Uttar Pradesh's educational hub, where an organized syndicate of land tricksters allegedly pocketed ₹49 lakh (4.9 million rupees) by forging inheritance documents and attempting to sell prime land owned by the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Acting on a formal police complaint lodged on Sunday, October 4, 2026, authorities at the Civil Lines Police Station in Aligarh registered an FIR against 11 named individuals, including a suspected property middleman. The syndicate finalized a fraudulent sale agreement valued at ₹1.75 crore with victim Bhanu Pratap Singh, a resident of Hemant Nagar in Sanjay Gandhi Colony, by presenting counterfeit title deeds, a fabricated death certificate, and forged legal heir paperwork before showing him prime vacant land adjacent to the varsity's student hostel facilities.Modus Operandi Revealed: Fake Inheritance Papers and the Prime IG Girls' Hostel PlotThe deceitful transaction was orchestrated through calculated misrepresentation and fabricated municipal records:First Meeting and Forged Documents: According to the police complaint, the syndicate members approached Bhanu Pratap at his residence on June 25, 2025, presenting a fake deed, death certificate, and inheritance succession certificate issued in the name of a deceased individual, Sarla Devi.Fictitious Ownership Pitch: The accused claimed that Sarla Devi held legal rights over prime land located on Lal Diggi Road within Mauja Kasba Kol, claiming ancestral authority to sell the property.On-Site Trap Near Campus: The syndicate escorted the victim for an in-person site visit, pointing to a vacant plot situated on the right side of the inner road between the Indira Gandhi (IG) Girls' Hostel and the local mosque, claiming full private ownership over the varsity campus premises.Sealing the ₹1.75 Crore Deal: On June 27, the group returned to the victim's house to close the deal; despite withholding the official survey map under the pretext of furnishing it later, they convinced the buyer to enter into a formal land purchase contract finalized for ₹1.75 crore.Tracing the Money Trail: ₹49 Lakh Siphoned Through RTGS Transfers and Bank ChequesRelying on the fabricated documents, the buyer made substantial financial transfers before uncovering the deception:Digital Bank Transfers: As per the transaction records submitted to the police, Bhanu Pratap transferred advance funds directly into the bank accounts of the accused individuals through RTGS wire transfers on multiple dates.Subsequent Cheque Disbursements: Following the initial digital payments, account-payee cheques were handed over on August 4 and subsequent dates, bringing the total sum siphoned by the fraudsters to ₹49 lakh.Withholding the Official Site Plan: Throughout the payment cycle, the fraudsters repeatedly delayed presenting the certified site map whenever requested by the victim.Legal Scrutiny Unmasks AMU Ownership: Suspecting foul play due to continuous stalling, the complainant engaged a property lawyer to extract certified copies of the official land deed and the registry boundary map recorded under Sarla Devi's name from the sub-registrar office, revealing that the traded land was an integral asset of Aligarh Muslim University rather than private ancestral property.FIR Lodged Against 11 Accused at Civil Lines Police StationPolice have booked the syndicate under relevant sections covering cheating, criminal conspiracy, and document forgery:Named Accused in the Case: The Civil Lines police named 11 accused in the FIR, identifying them as Geeta, her son Ankur Solanki, Deepak Gupta, Ankit, Vikas Gupta, Rinku Gupta, Naina Gupta, Poonam Jalan, Ranu Devi, Rahul, and property broker Vijay Chandel.Comprehensive Investigation Underway: Investigating officers at Civil Lines Police Station have initiated verification of bank accounts that received the RTGS transfers and cleared cheques to freeze illicit balances.Crackdown on Campus Encroachers: Law enforcement officials and civic authorities are scrutinizing whether the syndicate has targeted additional vacant parcels around the university perimeter using forged land records.