UP Crime: Income Tax Dept Uncovers Rs 1,000 Cr Land Fraud Near Nepal Border; Fake PANs Used In Registries

A massive land scam worth over Rs 1,000 crore has been uncovered in Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri districts near the India-Nepal border, where fake PAN cards were allegedly used in hundreds of property transactions.

During an ongoing probe, the Income Tax Department seized and examined more than 400 registry documents from sub-registrar offices in the two districts. Officials found irregularities in at least 240 documents, raising suspicion of large-scale black money laundering.

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In Lakhimpur Kheri’s Mohammadi area, over 50 plots were registered without informing the I-T Department, many of them using fake PANs. Similarly, in Pilibhit, fake PANs were found in nearly 190 land deals. So far, land purchases worth around Rs 350 crore in Pilibhit and Rs 300 crore in Lakhimpur Kheri have been flagged. The questionable transactions include land near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, reportedly meant for a resort project.

Under rules, property worth more than Rs 30 lakh must be reported to the I-T Department, while land above Rs 10 lakh can only be registered after furnishing a valid PAN. The apparent bypassing of these norms has put the role of sub-registrar staff under the scanner.

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The I-T Department, acting on Section 133A, is preparing to issue notices to the individuals concerned and will also recommend action against registration officials to the state government.