A Delhi court has acquitted two daughters of the late Akhand Pratap Singh, a former IAS officer and Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, in a case involving the accumulation of assets valued at Rs 2.40 crore, deemed disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Special Judge Namrita Aggarwal cleared Juhie Singh and Java Singh of all charges, noting that the prosecution failed to establish a case against the former bureaucrat, who passed away on June 18, 2023, during trial when the witnesses evidence was still being going on.
The two women had been accused of abetting their father in the alleged offense. The judge pointed out that since the case against their father became void upon his demise, the charge of abetment against the daughters for aiding him would “definitely fail.” This is because the prosecution cannot demonstrate that the funds acquired by the public servant were disproportionate to his known sources of income or not.
The judge further stated, “Any allegation against a non-public servant for abetment of the main offense is also bound to fail for a simple reason that if disproportionate assets are not proven against the prime accused, then there cannot be any question of abetment in acquiring disproportionate assets or of acquiescence in retaining the said wealth.”
According to the prosecution, Singh had accumulated assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, including both immovable and movable properties registered in his name and the names of his family members, including his daughters. The prosecution alleged that Singh had unlawfully amassed a substantial sum of money during his service and had laundered it by investing in real estate under the names of his married daughters and other family members. Additionally, Singh was said to possess a collection of cars, lead an extravagant lifestyle, and allocate substantial sums for the education and weddings of his daughters.
