Former IPS officer arrested in industrial plot allotment fraud case

Lucknow, Dec 10 (PTI) The Lucknow Police on Wednesday arrested a former IPS officer in connection with an alleged case of fraud and forgery related to the allotment of an industrial plot in Deoria district in 1999, officials said.

According to the police, the accused, Amitabh Thakur, allegedly misused his official position as the then superintendent of police of Deoria to facilitate the allotment of an industrial plot by the District Industries Centre, in the name of his wife, Nutan Thakur, by using forged documents and false identities. The plot was subsequently sold for alleged monetary gain.

DCP (Lucknow West) Vishwajeet Shrivastava said a complaint in this regard was filed by Sanjay Sharma, a resident of Rajajipuram, under the Tal Katora police station limits in Lucknow.

The complaint alleged that false names, addresses and forged documents, including application forms, affidavits, treasury challans and transfer deeds, were used to obtain the allotment, while Thakur allegedly extended protection and assistance by misusing his official position, the officer said.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on September 12, 2025, under sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 34 and 120B of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, and a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), he said.

During the probe, documentary evidence was collected from Deoria district, verification of the alleged false names and addresses was carried out in Bihar, and statements of witnesses were recorded, police said in a statement.

On the basis of the evidence gathered, Thakur was arrested at around 3.45 am on Wednesday from the Maholi border in Sitapur district, officials said.

He will be produced before a competent court in Deoria, as the alleged offence pertains to that district. PTI KIS APL