Alld HC dismisses writ petition of ex-BSP leader Rakesh Dhar

Allahabad: It would be a setback to a former BSP minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi whose writ petition against non bailable warrant in connection with disproportionate income, was dismissed by a division bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday.

The former higher education minister of UP, Rakesh Dhar Tripathi had challenged the order of non bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him by the special judge (prevention of Corruption), Varanasi, as the former minister has failed to appear in the court in Varanasi.

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The Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice R N Kakkar dismissed the petition of minister as the court found that there was no substance in the plea to challenge the NBW issued against him by the special judge (prevention of Corruption).

It might be recalled that a case was registered against the former minister in the year 2013 at police station Mutthiganj, Allahabad under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The allegations against the former minister in the FIR was that he owned huge property and money from unknown sources while holding the portfolio of cabinet minister in state. The investigation was entrusted to the Vigilance department and the department found the Minister guilty of having disproportionate property from unknown sources and had filed a charge sheet against him in the Court. It was found that his known income in between 2011-13 was Rs 45 lakhs while property of worth Rs 122 crores was found in investigation.

The allegation is that he earned money by illegal means while holding the portfolio of minister. The state government granted permission of prosecution on the basis of the Vigilance report and the sanction of Governor was accorded on February 15, 2016.

Since former minister was not appearing in Varanasi Court therefore, the Court had issued NBW on April 13, 2016 against former minister.The petitioner has stated before the Court that the entire exercise against him is malafide and politically motivated.