A land scam involving the fraudulent sale of 114 plots near a historic stepwell in Sambhal’s Chandausi town has come to light. The plots were registered using a fake will and sold primarily to members of the minority community. Senior district officials revealed that police and intelligence agencies are now investigating the ownership of these plots. They further explained that the area, originally part of the Laxmanganj locality, had developed into a new colony named 'Mughalpura.'

In a separate investigation led by Sambhal District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya and Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Bishnoi, encroachments were discovered on land belonging to the ASI-protected Chandreshwar Mahadev Temple. Originally owning 80 bighas, the temple now controls only 19 bighas, with over 50 bighas, classified as grazing land, found to have been leased out improperly. The ASI signboard on the premises was also damaged.

The stepwell, believed to be 150 years old, was uncovered during an anti-encroachment drive in the Laxmanganj area on December 21. Spanning approximately 400 square meters, the structure has three levels—two made of marble and one of brick—as well as four chambers and a well. The ASI believes a tunnel discovered within the stepwell may have served as an escape route during the 1857 rebellion against the British Raj. The discovery of the stepwell has drawn significant attention to the region’s historical importance. Excavation work is ongoing under the supervision of the Sambhal administration and the ASI, with efforts to remove encroachments from the remaining area of the site.