In a significant development, Indal Rawat, former Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Malihabad, was arrested on Thursday evening by Gomtinagar police after a five-month investigation into allegations of real estate fraud amounting to approximately Rs2.52 crore. The arrest followed hours of questioning by the police.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anshu Jain, Rawat has multiple similar cases of cheating pending across various police stations in Lucknow. His arrest comes after an extensive investigation into a real estate scam involving a disputed land deal.
The case against Rawat was filed on July 21, 2024, based on a complaint by Rajesh Pandey, the Managing Director of Shri Raj Infra Housing Private Limited. According to the complaint, in August 2014, Rawat entered into an agreement with the company to construct a six-storey building on 1.5 bighas of land in Batha village, Sadar tehsil. However, due to deficiencies in the revenue stamps, the agreement was not legally binding until June 2023, when the necessary stamp duty of Rs42 lakh was paid, re-registering the agreement.
Between 2014 and 2023, Rawat allegedly received a sum of Rs2.52 crore from Raj Infra Housing Private Limited for the development project. However, when the company approached Awas Vikas for approval of the construction plan, it was discovered that the land in question was already registered in the name of the Aashiana Cooperative Development Committee since 1991, rendering Rawat’s claim of ownership invalid.
When Rajesh Pandey confronted Rawat about the discrepancy in ownership, Rawat reportedly claimed that the issue was an administrative oversight that would be resolved shortly. Despite these assurances, the land was never registered under his name, and Pandey alleges that Rawat began issuing threats to deter further inquiry into the matter.
The Gomtinagar police launched an investigation after the complaint, uncovering the fraudulent land deal and cheating. As a result, they arrested Indal Rawat, who is now facing charges under sections of cheating, fraudulent land dealings, and threatening the complainant.
Police have confirmed that Rawat’s arrest is part of a larger probe into illegal real estate transactions involving former politicians and land disputes in the Lucknow region. Rawat’s involvement in similar cases in other police stations of Lucknow is also being reviewed.