Ex-U.P. minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi gets 3-year-jail in DA case

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi has been sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case. He has also been fined ₹10 lakh, with the possibility of additional imprisonment if the fine is not paid. Tripathi, who served as a minister in the BSP government from 2007 to 2011, was accused of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income. The court cited a Supreme Court verdict stating that both the corrupt and the corrupter are accountable to society.

An MP-MLA court in Prayagraj on Friday sentenced former Uttar Pradesh minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets (DA) case. MP/MLA special court judge, Prayagraj, Dinesh Chandra Shukla also imposed a fine of ₹10 lakh on the former minister. He said if the fine amount was not deposited, Tripathi will have to face additional imprisonment of six months.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for Tripathi argued that the entire exercise against the applicant was mala fide and politically motivated. (For Representation)

Giving this decision, the special judge, MP-MLA court, quoted a verdict of the Apex court in the case of State of Karnataka vs. Selvi. J. Jayalalitha and other (2017), which says, “Both corrupt and corrupter are indictable and answerable to the society and the country as a whole. This is more particularly in people’s representatives in public life committed by the oath of office to dedicate oneself to the unqualified welfare of the laity.”

Tripathi was a minister in the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh from May 2007 to December 2011. During the course of hearing, the counsel for Tripathi argued that the entire exercise against the applicant was mala fide and politically motivated. He further submitted that income of the applicant had been wrongly computed, overlooking the explanation in this regard.

An investigation was subsequently started and then handed over to the vigilance department. After the investigation, the vigilance department had presented the charge sheet before the court in this case. It is alleged that Rakesh Dhar Tripathi, while working as cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh, amassed wealth more than his known source of income.

It is also alleged that during his tenure as the minister, Tripathi spent more than two- and-a-half crore rupees, though his known income was only ₹50 lakh. As per the charges, the minister failed to provide the account of his extra income.