In a significant development, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court quashed the high-profile solar project bribery case, bringing relief to IAS officer Abhishek Prakash (IAS:2006:UP) and arrested accused Nikant Jain. The bench noted that the allegations against the duo lacked evidence and thus could not stand legal scrutiny. IAS officer Prakash, former Invest UP CEO, was placed under suspension in March 2025, following allegations of demanding a bribe for the project.
With this verdict the corruption case stands officially closed, clearing the path for Abhishek Prakash’s reinstatement.
The case had been filed in March 2025, following the allegations of bribery in a major solar manufacturing project worth nearly Rs 400 crore. It was alleged that a commission was demanded for clearing the project, but no evidence could be presented in the court.
The court observed that the charges of corruption framed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act did not constitute any actionable offence. In this way, the chargesheet filed in the case on May 15, 2025, has also been cancelled.
What came as a surprise is that the complainant himself informed the court that the complaint had been filed due to a misunderstanding, adding that the complaint made to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) was not correct and had stemmed from confusion.
The Special Task Force (STF) had been constituted following a complaint, and an investigation was launched, resulting in action against the accused. But the High Court’s verdict has now overturned the proceedings.
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