BAREILLY: A land scam involving fraudulent sales of 114 plots near a historic stepwell in Sambhal’s Chandausi town has come to light with plots registered using a fake will and sold primarily to members of the minority community, senior district officials said on Sunday, adding that their ownership is now investigated by police and intelligence agencies.
They added that the area was originally part of the Laxmanganj locality, but as the town developed, a new colony named ‘Mughalpura’ emerged.
Gulnaz B, 54, the widow of Mohd Yusuf Saifi, who was forced to vacate her house built over the stepwell on an hour’s notice on Friday, lodged a complaint accusing Aamna Begum, her husband Zaheeruddin, and others of fraud and issuing threats. Inspector Renu Singh of Chandausi police station confirmed that a probe is underway.
According to the complaint, Gulnaz purchased a 103sqkm plot in 2016 from Aamna Begum. She obtained administrative approval for construction but was compelled to leave her home on Friday, around three weeks after the stepwell was unearthed during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation. Gulnaz claimed that when she approached Aamna and her husband, they threatened her family.
Separately, a survey led by Sambhal DM Rajender Pensiya and SP Krishan Kumar Bishnoi revealed encroachments on land belonging to the ASI-protected Chandreshwar Mahadev Temple. The temple originally owned 80 bighas, but only 19 bighas remain under its control. Over 50 bighas, classified as grazing land, were found to be leased out improperly. The ASI signboard on the premises was also damaged.
Bishnoi told TOI, “We have received Gulnaz’s complaint. A gazetted officer will verify land records within three days, after which an FIR will be considered. Historical records from 1952, post-zamindari abolition, will be the benchmark for resolving these cases. Leases on nearly 50 bighas of Chandreshwar Mahadev Temple land are being cancelled, and action is underway.”
Chandausi SDM Nidhi Patel said, “Land records are being scrutinised to ensure a fair investigation. Revenue officials are also scanning documents related to the stepwell and its surroundings, which include 28 bighas of land surrounding the stepwell.” A prominent builder’s involvement in the scam is also being investigated, another official said.
The stepwell, believed to be 150 years old, was unearthed during an anti-encroachment drive in the Laxmanganj area on Dec 21. The structure spans approximately 400 square metres and features three levels — two made of marble and one of brick — as well as four chambers and a well. The ASI believes that a tunnel found within the stepwell may have been used as an escape route during the 1857 rebellion against the British Raj.
The discovery of the stepwell has drawn significant attention to the region’s historical significance. Excavation work is ongoing under the supervision of the Sambhal administration and the ASI and efforts are underway to remove encroachments covering the remaining area of the site.
Source Homevior.in
