A fresh First Information Report has been registered against Ansal brothers — Deepak, Sushil and Gopal — on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
The complainant alleged that he bought a land at Ansal Town in Muzaffarnagar where amenities were promised but nothing has been done so far.
The victims, 52-year-old Alok Bajpai and his wife Sunita Bajpai, told the police that they have paid ₹16 lakh for the land and feel “betrayed” as their hard-earned money has gone to waste.
According to Mr. Bajpai, a marketing professional, he saw a newspaper advertisement regarding Ansal Town Muzaffarnagar in 2011. It was projected that they would build a city in itself with amenities like “school, library, bus stand, club, swimming pool, badminton court, shopping mall, meditation park and 24X7 security in an environment-friendly place”.
₹16 lakh in instalments
“We visited the place and found that there were factories emanating smoke. We raised our concerns about the same and were told by representatives that these factories will be removed from the residential area according to a Uttar Pradesh government policy,” Mr. Bajpai said.
The complainants also claimed to have met Deepak Ansal and other board members who allegedly assured building of amenities and removal of factories.
Mr. Bajpai gave a booking amount of ₹5,000 and for the next three years, he paid a total of ₹16 lakh in instalments, he said.
However, till date, the complainant alleged, that nothing has been built expect roads and a water tank. “The factories are still running and the area is full of smoke. No parks or facilities have been constructed,” he said.
Mr. Bajpai told the police that he suspects that the funds given by him and several others for the property has been used by the company for other purposes and also suspects that the company did not have relevant sanctions at the time of the advertisement.
The police have registered a case under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code at Barakhamba Road police station on March 1 and are probing the matter.
A senior police officer said investigation is under way.
The complainant alleged that he was trying to get the FIR lodged for over a year but was not able to till he met a senior officer who heard his grievances and helped him.
“At the time we decided on the investment, we went by the brand. Now, when we go to Ansal’s office, they say that they have lost all their money because of demonetisation,” Mr. Bajpai alleged.