Lucknow: A father-son duo has been booked for allegedly duping a man of Rs 27 lakh on the pretext of renting out a property on Station Road in Lucknow for opening a restaurant. The fraud came to light after the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) sealed the under-construction property and the complainant discovered discrepancies in the ownership documents.Acting on a court order, Wazirganj police lodged an FIR against the accused, residents of Suryoday Colony on Rana Pratap Marg.According to police, complainant Rizwan Murtaza, a resident of Khyaliganj in Kaiserbagh, was searching for a property to start a restaurant in 2023 when he came in contact with the accused. They allegedly claimed that a property on Hussainganj Station Road belonged to his family and offered it on rent.A nine-year rent agreement was executed on Jan 2, 2024. Rizwan alleged that the accused later showed him a municipal tax receipt issued in the name of his mother, and claimed ownership of the property. The duo allegedly assured him that they would facilitate construction and obtain approval of the building plan from the LDA.Believing their claims, Rizwan paid Rs 15 lakh as advance rent and another Rs 12 lakh for map approval and other formalities. He was also allegedly provided an LDA receipt of Rs 49,000.However, after construction began, the LDA sealed the property. On verifying the documents, Rizwan allegedly found that the required ownership records were not in place for plan approval. Further scrutiny revealed that the accused were tenants, not owners, and had no authority to sub-lease the property.Rizwan alleged that when he sought a refund on Jan 2, 2025, the accused abused and assaulted him. Police said property records and financial transactions are being examined as part of the investigation.
