LUCKNOW, July 21 -- A retired assistant engineer was allegedly duped of Rs 78 lakh by nine individuals who promised a business partnership in a land deal that turned out to involve government-owned property in the state capital. The FIR was registered at the Mahanagar police station on Sunday, following directions from deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Central Ashish Srivastava. According to the complaint filed by SB Tripathi, who retired from the UP housing and development board in May 2023, he was approached on March 1 this year by three individuals, Devesh Dev Bhatt, Rita Rai, and Ajay Kumar Dixit, who showed him a plot near Rahim Nagar Chauraha, claiming it belonged to Azhar Sultan of Wazirganj. The group allegedly said they had paid Rs 2 crore in advance to the owner on February 14, 2024. Tripathi, trusting the documents and verbal assurances, transferred Rs 78 lakh to their accounts between April 6 and April 16, 2024. Later, upon verifying the land ownership with the Tehsildar and revenue officials, he found the land was government property under the Polytechnic. The FIR has named Devesh Dev Bhatt, Rita Rai, Ajay Kumar Dixit (Chandganj, Mahanagar), Mohd Siraj, Azhar Sultan, his son Ankit Tarab Sultan, Shabaz Sultan, Wasi Haider Abdi, and Shajida Jafri.htc...