Desk Correspondent , Lucknow – In a major anti-crime operation, Lucknow Police on Thursday attached movable and immovable assets worth more than ₹5.78 crore belonging to a notorious real-estate fraud syndicate under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities Act. The properties, seized in the Mohanlalganj area on orders from Police Commissioner Amrendra Singh Sengar, belong to alleged gang leader Pramod Kumar Upadhyay and his associate Vinod Kumar Upadhyay. Acting on a competent court directive issued on April 6, teams accompanied by revenue officials marked the sites with attachment notices, placing them under court control as part of an ongoing drive against organised rackets that have duped buyers by selling non-existent or disputed plots.

The syndicate allegedly operated by posing as representatives of reputed real estate firms, luring victims, especially armed forces and paramilitary personnel, with attractive residential plot offers. Buyers, often unable to visit sites due to service duties, later discovered the land was fake or disputed. Police have registered 66 cases against the accused since 2020 across multiple Lucknow stations, covering fraud, criminal conspiracy, forgery, breach of trust and attempt to murder. Attached assets include a plot and semi-constructed house in Omaxe City valued at over ₹5.3 crore, plus three vehicles, Toyota Innova, Maruti Swift and Mahindra Bolero worth around ₹45 lakh.

The action builds on earlier investigation Pramod Kumar Upadhyay was arrested in June 2025 as the kingpin in similar scams that cheated over 100 people through a firm linked to fake land deals. With further attachment proceedings underway, officials vowed to sustain pressure on such syndicates to safeguard public interest and maintain law and order. This latest step signals intensified efforts to dismantle organised crime networks that exploit trust in the booming real estate sector.