New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday filed a case against former Allahabad High Court judge SN Shukla and his wife for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.5 crore between 2014 and 2019.
This is the second corruption case against the former judge who was booked while he was in office, along with IM Quddusi, retired Chhattisgarh High Court judge, and four others for allegedly obtaining a favourable order to a Lucknow-based medical college in exchange of money.
According to the CBI, the assets included properties in the name of Shukla’s wife Suchita Tiwari, who has an income of Rs 40,000 per month.
“There was information that SN Shukla in the capacity of a judge has intentionally enriched himself illicitly and acquired assets by corrupt and illegal means in the name of Suchita Tiwari and Saideen Tiwari (brother of his first wife) and others,” a CBI official said, asking not to be named.
“Suchita has a nominal income of Rs 40,000 as disclosed in her petition filed for maintenance from her ex-husband. She is not financially capable of acquiring huge assets worth crores of rupees,” the official said.
The assets include agricultural land in different locations in the name of Adhbhut India Foundation Trust, in which Suchita is a trustee, and a flat in Faizabad along with movable assets worth 98 lakh.
‘Dubious transactions’
Another CBI official said that Shukla acquired assets in the name of Suchita Tiwari in several instances. The land sale transaction details pertaining to land acquired in the name of Tiwari at Lucknow was found to be “highly suspicious”, the official said.
“One piece of land was purchased in 2012 for Rs 3.6 lakh and sold in 2014 for Rs 30 lakh. Similarly, another piece of land, which was purchased in 2013 for Rs 3.15 lakh, was sold in 2017 for Rs 70 lakh,” the official said.
“Both lands were sold to M/s Shine City Infra Project Lucknow and as per the evidence gathered, Shukla was the one coordinating all these deals. He sent messages to Himanshu Kumar of M/s Shine City with regard to making payments a number of times in 2019. There are also details of total payments of Rs 80 lakh sent by Himanshu Kumar to Shukla in the name of Shiv Shakti Dham Trust,” the second official said.
“All these facts show that Shukla has acquired assets in the name of Suchita Tiwari and Saideen Tiwari between 2014 and 2019 to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore,” the official added.
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