I-T survey at sub-registrar office uncovers ‘Rs 200cr property fraud’

Meerut: The income tax (I-T) department has unearthed an alleged tax evasion racket worth around Rs 200 crore linked to property registrations at the sub-registrar office in Khurja city of Bulandshahr district. Officials said a joint team from Noida and Ghaziabad conducted a survey at the office on Monday which revealed "large-scale discrepancies in sale deeds".I-T officer at Ghaziabad division, Sudhir Kumar, said preliminary findings indicate that PAN and Aadhaar details were allegedly misused during property registrations to facilitate tax evasion. "Around 1,000 sale deeds executed over the past five years are under scrutiny for discrepancies, resulting in significant revenue loss to the govt," he told TOI.Officials added that crucial digital evidence, including transaction records and registration data, were seized during the survey. "A detailed probe is underway to establish the full extent of the fraud and identify the individuals involved. Initial estimates suggest the scam could run into over Rs 1,000 crore," Kumar said.The irregularities first came to light after the I-T department's Kanpur unit flagged suspicious high-value transactions, prompting the formation of a special investigation team.Officials said similar surveys conducted in recent weeks across western Uttar Pradesh — including Garh Mukteshwar, Noida and Ghaziabad — have revealed a pattern of manipulation of identity documents in property deals. In Garh Mukteshwar alone, officials had "detected irregularities worth nearly Rs 700 crore".