UP police drop fraud case against Amar Singh

In a relief for Amar Singh, the Uttar Pradesh police has submitted a closure report in a district court in Kanpur in the three-year-old fraud and embezzlement case against the Rajya Sabha MP, citing lack of evidence.

The police submitted the report in the court of district judge on Friday, official sources said.

The complaint was lodged by Shivakant Tripathi during the Bahujan Samaj Party regime in 2009 accusing Amar Singh of misusing his office during his stint as chairman of Uttar Pradesh Development Council and alleging a scam of Rs 500 crore, they said.

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In the complaint, large scale money laundering was alleged by floating 55 companies and later merging them. The case lodged by the Babupurwa police on October 15 included charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Sources in the court of district judge here said the investigating officer in the case has submitted a closure report and a notice has been issued asking the petitioner to present his side on November 29.

DIG Amitabh Yash had on Friday night confirmed that the case had been given to the local police for investigation. He, however, declined to give details. Attempts were made to reach CO Babupurwa but to no avail.

Amar Singh, who was once a prominent SP leader, was expelled in February 2010 for "anti-party" activities.

Tripathi said he will file a protest petition either Saturday or on Monday. He had submitted 1,500 pages of evidence against Amar Singh in his FIR to the police.

In his complaint, the petitioner had alleged that Singh had claimed his property to be worth Rs 32 crore when he fought the Rajya Sabha election.

However, when he was made Uttar Pradesh Development Council chairman, he declared his property worth Rs 500 crore, Tripathi alleged. Initially, the UP police had transferred the case to the Kolkata police stating that many of the companies mentioned in it were having their registered office there.

But, the plea was turned down by the Kolkata police, which stated that allegations mentioned in the case originated in UP after which Babupurwa Police in Kanpur was directed to investigate.

However, immediately after this the state government had directed the Economic Offences Wing to investigate the case. In between Amar Singh filed a plea in Allahabad high court seeking direction to quash proceedings against him.

In his plea, Singh had contended that since the Enforcement Directorate had found that the allegations against him were baseless, all proceedings against him should be quashed.

On October 12, the court rejected his plea and directed a probe by a state agency.

On October 28, the state government had directed the EOW to transfer the case to Babupurwa police station immediately. Five days after that circle officer Babupurwa Pavitra Mohan Tripathi, who was investigating the case, submitted the closure report in the court on Saturday.