LUCKNOW: The tragic death of 25-year-old techie Yuvraj Mehta has intensified the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) scrutiny into the alleged irregularities linked to Noida’s ambitious Sports City project, highlighting Wiztown Planners Pvt Ltd as a focal point of the inquiry.
Mehta’s car tragically veered into a flooded area in Sector 150 of Noida in the early morning of January 16.
The land involved is reportedly connected to Wiztown, which is one of the entities formed from the original Sports City project allotments.
In light of the incident, the CBI expanded its inquiry into the Sports City–02 project, placing a renewed emphasis on Wiztown. The FIR related to this was one of three filed by the agency in March 2025, naming Wiztown among the accused developers.
The CBI took over the investigation following a directive from the Allahabad High Court and subsequently registered these FIRs.
On Wednesday, the CBI retrieved the complete project documentation for Wiztown from the Noida Authority, a sign of an intensified investigation.
Sources indicate that the land parcel associated with Wiztown spans approximately 27,000 square meters, with outstanding debts approaching ₹129 crore owed to the authority.
The director of Wiztown Planners Pvt Ltd, Abhay Kumar, has been arrested in connection to Mehta’s death, while investigators are looking into potential negligence, regulatory failures, and unauthorized land usage that might have contributed to the incident.
Wiztown’s Entry into the Sports City Framework
Wiztown’s involvement stems from a complicated restructuring of the Sports City–02 project in Sector 150. In March 2016, the Noida Authority allocated additional land to the principal developer, M/s Lotus Green Constructions Pvt Ltd, which then made several requests for “zero period” concessions due to issues with possession and encroachments. A limited zero period was granted until September 2016, but no further extensions were permitted.
In January 2017, an integrated development plan for Sports City–02 received approval. Shortly after, the consortium sought to subdivide the land among multiple companies, claiming them as wholly owned subsidiaries. Over time, the initial seven members of the consortium expanded to 24 different entities, with Wiztown Planners Pvt Ltd being one of the companies created during this subdivision.
According to the approved plan, Wiztown was allotted Plot No SC-02/A3 in Sector 150, which measures 27,185 square meters, and was allowed a built-up area of about 31,326 square meters per FAR standards. The sanctioned layout restricted construction on the Wiztown plot to sports or community facilities and open green spaces, which was a crucial requirement of the Sports City initiative.
Delays, Dues, and Deviations
Despite these approvals, investigations revealed that the Sports City project lagged behind its scheduled timelines. Essential sports infrastructure and related facilities were largely left unfinished. The lead developer claimed that leases for divided plots weren’t fully executed, obstructing construction, a claim contested by the Noida Authority.
CBI officials investigating the case allege that various subsidiary companies, including Wiztown, were established either shortly before or during the allotment phase, later being sold or transferred without required approvals. Investigators suspect this may indicate a broader scheme to exploit land value increases while evading accountability for constructing sports infrastructure.
The agency is currently examining whether Wiztown and similar firms were manipulated to disperse liabilities and enable unauthorized transfers, even as the consortium’s cumulative dues, initially estimated at over ₹1,200 crore, are believed to have exceeded ₹2,700 crore with accrued interest.
A Death that Reopened Old Cases
The unfortunate passing of Yuvraj Mehta has reignited attention on long-standing concerns raised by audit bodies and judicial entities.
A thorough audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) highlighted the extensive alleged irregularities within the Noida Sports City project.
In its report presented in September 2020, the CAG found systemic gaps and violations that resulted in an estimated financial loss of nearly ₹9,000 crore to both the Noida Authority and the Uttar Pradesh government.
The audit underscored significant issues at every phase, from land allotment to actual development of Sports City. It revealed that the Noida Authority had grossly undervalued the land intended for the project, incurring substantial revenue losses for the public treasury. Contrary to what the scheme’s brochure stated, which allowed subdivision of only residential and commercial components, the authority permitted the division of all Sports City plots, including those designated solely for sports facilities.
Additionally, the CAG noted that land parcels were allocated in disregard of essential screening criteria, neglecting technical qualifications, turnover, and net worth of bidders. In a serious deviation, the consortium member with the largest financial commitment was expelled, and plots were redistributed among multiple companies that individually did not meet eligibility benchmarks. The report also indicated that the project brochure was vague regarding the specifications for sports facilities.
The authority failed to collect instalments, lease rents, and transfer fees, created new payment plans treating subsidiaries as fresh allottees, and even issued occupancy certificates in certain instances without completion of requisite sports facilities, granting developers illegal advantages.
This CAG report served as the foundation for the High Court’s directive to hand over the case to the CBI.
