CBI books suspended Delhi court judge for amassing disproportionate assets

PTI

New Delhi, July 29

The CBI has booked suspended Delhi court judge Rachna Lakhanpal and her husband, facing bribery charges, in a fresh case of allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.99 crore, officials said.

Lakhanpal, then posted as senior civil judge at Tis Hazari court, and her advocate husband Alok were arrested in 2016 for allegedly receiving bribe of Rs 4 lakh to deliver a favourable decision. The CBI had filed a chargesheet in that case in 2018.

While investigating the bribery case, the CBI claimed to have unearthed alleged illicit assets amassed by the couple during 2006-16.

The FIR alleged that the couple had assets of Rs 1.09 lakh at the start of check period on July 27, 2006, when Rachna Lakhanpal joined judicial services which swelled to over Rs 3.53 crore in 10 years on September 28, 2016, when they were arrested.

During the period, the couple had an income of Rs 1.05 crore while their expenditure was Rs 51.73 lakh, it said.

According to the CBI FIR, the couple acquired assets worth Rs 2.99 crore which are allegedly disproportionate to their known sources of income for which they could not provide satisfactory explanation.

“Further, it is relevant to mention that Ms Rachna Tiwari Lakhanpal has not intimated to the department about the unaccounted cash of Rs 94.09 lakh which was recovered from the house search and also concealed about the actual value of House No. R-546, New Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, amounting to Rs 1.60 crore,” the FIR alleged.

It has alleged that unaccounted cash of Rs. 94.09 lakh was recovered during house search of Rachna and Alok Lakhanpal on the day of trap, which was kept in a brief case in the almirah of their master bedroom.

“Investigation revealed that Rachna Tiwari intended to dispose of this amount along with the bribe money of Rs 4 lakh by carrying the briefcase (containing Rs 94,09,900) in one hand and orange colour packet (containing bribe money of Rs four lakhs) in the other and made a quick way towards outside from the backyard of her house but failed in her efforts/attempt due to the presence of CBI team in the premises,” the FIR alleged.

The agency found a CCTV footage which revealed them about the alleged attempts of Lakhanpal to dispose the cash.

The CBI alleged that while Rachna Lakhanpal was booked under fresh corruption charges for amassing the assets, her husband Alok was “actively involved” for acquisition of various assets in his name and in the joint name of his relatives and he is also liable for abetment to the offence under section 109 IPC, the FIR alleged.

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