CBI books sitting Allahabad HC judge in corruption case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which carried out searches at sitting Allahabad high court judge Justice SN Shukla’s Lucknow residence on Friday, booked him in a corruption case for allegedly favouring a medical college.

Along with Justice Shukla, CBI named IM Quddusi, a retired judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Bhagwan Prasad Yadav and Palash Yadav of the Prasad Education Trust and private persons Bhavna Pandey and Sudhir Giri in the case.

The accused were booked under section 120B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the officials added. After filing the FIR, the CBI conducted searches at multiple locations in Lucknow, Meerut and Delhi.

It is alleged that the Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was debarred by the Centre from admitting students due to sub-standard facilities and non-fulfilment of the required criteria in May, 2017, along with 46 other medical colleges, which were also debarred on similar grounds, the officials said.

The decision to debar was challenged by the trust before the Supreme Court through a writ petition, they added. Subsequently, a conspiracy was hatched by those named in the FIR and the petition withdrawn with the court’s permission.

Another writ petition was filed before the Lucknow bench of the high court on August 24, 2017, CBI officials said.

It was further alleged in the FIR that the petition was heard on August 25, 2017 by a division bench of the court comprising Justice Shukla and a favourable order was passed the same day.

In order to get a favourable order, an illegal gratification was allegedly paid to one of the accused named in the FIR by the trust, the officials said.

(With inputs from agencies)