Two fresh FIRs have been filed against Ansal API directors, including Pranav and Sushil Ansal, for allegedly cheating buyers of over ₹1.52 crore under the guise of residential plots in Lucknow. Investigations have revealed a growing number of similar cases, over 135 FIRs, painting a disturbing picture of real estate exploitation.
The Modus Operandi: Promises, Payments, and Silence
A well-known name in Indian real estate is once again in the eye of a storm. Pranav Ansal and Sushil Ansal, directors of Ansal API, are facing two new FIRs filed at the Sushant Golf City police station for allegedly defrauding plot buyers of over ₹1.52 crore. The number of complaints against the group now exceeds 135 FIRs, pointing to what appears to be a systemic and long-running scam involving multiple buyers and unauthorized land development schemes.
According to the complaint by Dhirendra Kumar Singh and his brother Piyush, residents of Sector-72, Noida, they were shown layout maps in 2012 and persuaded to book two residential plots worth ₹1.60 crore. They transferred ₹1.50 crore via RTGS in January 2022, expecting allotment shortly thereafter. However, despite repeated follow-ups, they encountered evasion and delays.
In 2024, they were finally allotted two plots, only to discover that the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had not approved the project’s layout. Suspecting foul play, they filed a complaint against key figures, including Pranav Ansal, Rajesh Rao, Prashant Kumar, and Amit Shukla.
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The ‘Aasra Bharosa Yojana’: A Decade-Long Ordeal
In a separate case, Mohammad Atiq, a resident of Golaganj, Wazirganj, shared his harrowing 12-year wait. He booked a plot in 2013 under the so-called ‘Aasra Bharosa Yojana’, paying ₹1.21 lakh in installments. When he approached Ansal representatives for registration, they reportedly avoided him. Even after a decade, he had neither received the plot nor his money back.
After verifying with the LDA, Atiq discovered that the project layout had never been approved. He, too, filed an FIR for cheating and criminal breach of trust against the same accused.
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A Pattern of Deception Emerges
The Sushant Golf City SHO, Upendra Singh, confirmed that both cases show similar patterns: high-value advances collected from customers under false pretences of plot allotment, misleading documents, and long-term evasion.
Several complainants have cited similar experiences—payment made in good faith, fake allotment letters, no registries, and repeated delays blamed on “paperwork” or “government approvals.” Many claim that when they pushed for either the land or a refund, they were stonewalled.
This isn’t the first controversy to engulf the Ansals. The family has been previously implicated in various legal troubles, including the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy, which claimed 59 lives in 1997 and led to convictions.
The recent spate of FIRs, however, opens a new chapter, this time involving ordinary citizens, life savings, and a promise of a home that never existed.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.