Saturday, March 29, 2025
Lucknow: March 15, 2026 While ordinary citizens in the capital city are struggling with a severe shortage of cooking gas, illegal hoarding by influential individuals has shocked the administration. On Saturday, a district administration team raided ‘Abhinandan Resort’ located on Lucknow’s Mohan Road, exposing a major black-marketing operation. The resort belongs to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Surendra Kumar, alias Sonu Kanojia.
In the operation led by DSO Vijay Pratap Singh, a total of 88 gas cylinders were recovered from inside the resort. The investigation revealed that the SP leader’s wife, Manju Kanojia, owns ‘Aseem Bharat Gas Agency,’ whose official warehouse is located just 1.5 km away from the resort. According to regulations, these cylinders should have been kept in the secure warehouse, but they were illegally concealed within the resort.
Details of Seized Items:
65 empty cylinders (14.2 kg)
9 filled cylinders (14.2 kg)
14 empty “Chhotu” cylinders (5 kg)
One Bolero Maxi Truck (UP32QN-5729) used for transporting the cylinders.
When the administrative team demanded documentation, those present on the spot failed to produce any valid records. Consequently, an FIR has been registered at the Kakori Police Station against five individuals—SP leader Sonu Kanojia, his wife Manju Kanojia, manager Munna, Jamil Ahmed, and Sahil—under Section 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act.
Sonu Kanojia, who has previously contested assembly elections from Malihabad, has been embroiled in several controversies before. He faces serious allegations regarding illegal land plotting and operating a resort on land acquired by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA). Reports indicate that this gas agency was recently purchased for ₹80 lakh, a transaction that is now under rigorous investigation.
