Shivangi Prakash-
A businessman has been charged by Allahabad High Court with bringing false claims against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s Principal Secretary, SP Goyal and Special Secretary, Subrata Shukla.
The businessman, who owns a gas station, claimed that both officers demanded bribes.
While hearing a plea filed by Abhishek Gupta, the Division Bench of Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Dinesh Kumar Singh issued this order.
The petition has been filed to overturn the respondents’ ruling dated June 8, 2018, as well as the order dated April 1, 2019, which is included in the petition.
The respondents have also been directed to pass appropriate orders for exchange in light of the District Magistrate’s final recommendation of February 2, 2018, and the amount received in this matter for exchange on January 11, 2018.
The petitioner has also requested that the respondents be subjected to appropriate administrative punishment for soliciting bribes and unjustly rejecting the Petitioner’s Representation.
The Court stated that “First of all, we have to record our displeasure in the manner in which the petitioner has attributed serious allegations against the respondents, who are senior government officers, holding important posts. It is unfortunate, that such serious allegations are made against senior officers of the Government and when the petitioner has been called upon to support his allegations, he has stated that he does not want to press these allegations and they may be treated as unconditionally withdrawn. We highly deprecate this practice and reprimand the petitioner, for such conduct and warn him to be more careful in future while coming to the Court.”
In light of the observation, we are of the view that the orders dated June 8, 2018, and April 1, 2019, are not legally valid and should be invalidated. As a result, the petition was granted.