LUCKNOW, March 30 -- Several houses constructed on plots allegedly linked to a large-scale land forgery scam are already occupied, raising questions about the Lucknow Development Authority's (LDA) ability to curb illegal transactions. A ground investigation by Hindustan Times on Saturday revealed that many of the over 70 plots under scrutiny by the Uttar Pradesh Police's special task force (STF) are in various stages of development, with some fully constructed and inhabited.

In Vivek Khand, Gomti Nagar, plot number 1/20 was found vacant, enclosed by a boundary wall and gate. A real estate broker who visited the site told HT that the owner recently sought assistance in selling the plot but claimed no knowledge of its connection to the for...