Upcoming Jewar Airport Triggers a Land Rush, and a Rise in Scams

On December 6, 2023, Gaurav Sharma, a 40-year-old resident of Noida's Sector 49, filed a police complaint alleging that he, along with three of his business associates, had been duped by a group of 15 people who claimed to own a large parcel of agricultural land near the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.

- Neetika Jha

The previous year in January, Gaurav, who runs a consultancy in Noida, and his partners, Gopesh Rohtagi, Yatish Aggarwal, and Shilpi Aggarwal, had met Noida-based property dealers Sachin Bhati and Ravinder Sharma, who allegedly told them that 200 hectares of agricultural land near the airport was up for sale. "Given the proximity to the upcoming airport, we thought it was a good deal since prices were bound to shoot up," Gaurav said.