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Police in Lucknow have booked two residents of Prayagraj and two unidentified associates for allegedly defrauding a former member of the Public Service Commission and former director of education of Rs 12.5 crore in a property transaction. The first information report was registered at the PGI police station on the directions of Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) following a complaint by the victim, Amrit Prakash. According to the complainant, the accused posed as close aides of a prominent mafia figure and threatened him after he objected to omissions in the sale deed paperwork.
The Initial Agreement and Subsequent Delay
The dispute centers on a property owned by Amrit Prakash in the Mundera locality of Dhoomanganj, Prayagraj. The complainant, currently residing in Utrethia, Lucknow, stated that Ramesh Chandra, a resident near Noorani Mosque in Mundera, and Ashok Kumar Maurya, a resident of Yamuna Nagar, approached him to purchase the house. Negotiations concluded with the total consideration fixed at Rs 12.5 crore. Under the terms of the original agreement, the buyers were scheduled to issue 11 cheques of Rs 1.10 crore each, while the remaining balance was to be paid in cash. However, the formal execution of the agreement stalled after Ramesh Chandra was sent to jail in connection with another matter.
Revival of Talks and Transfer of Funds
The matter resurfaced in January 2026 when both accused approached Prakash again, expressing their readiness to execute the sale deed based on the previously agreed valuation. The buyers then initiated financial transactions to finalize the deal. During that month, Ramesh Chandra transferred Rs 1 crore directly to Prakash through RTGS, while Ashok Kumar Maurya transferred Rs 83.63 lakh through the same channel. To cover the remainder of the agreed consideration, the accused handed over six cheques totaling Rs 9,46,37,000 on January 19.
Discrepancies in the Deed Lead to Intimidation
The confrontation occurred on January 20 when the accused sent a vehicle to collect Prakash, asking him to bring the property deeds and the cheques to prepare the registry paperwork. Upon reviewing the draft of the sale deed, Prakash discovered that the document contained no mention of the six cheques issued to him. When he objected to the omission and insisted on complete financial disclosure in the registration papers, the accused allegedly turned hostile and issued threats against him. Following the complaint, police initiated an investigation into the charges of fraud and intimidation against the four suspects.
