CBI books Allahabad HC ex-judge in assets case

In 2018, then chief justice of India Dipak Misra had constituted a three-member committee to look into allegations of corruption against Shukla. The panel found substance in the allegations, prompting justice Misra to write to Shukla to either resign or retire voluntarily. After justice Shukla refused both options, all judicial work was withdrawn from the judge immediately.

According to the high court website, Shukla retired from service in July 2020.
In the fresh case, the complainant alleged that during the investigation of the 2019 case against Shukla, sources had informed that Shukla in capacity as a judge of the Allahabad High Court enriched himself illicitly and acquired assets by corrupt means in the name of Suchita Tiwari, Saideen Tiwari and others.

“Source information related to acquiring of properties by Shukla in the name of Suchita and Saideen were verified and scrutinised for the check period from April 1, 2014 to December 6, 2019. It has been revealed that Suchita came in contact with Shukla in 2014-15 and prior to that she was not having any immovable assets. During searches, documents from the Suchita’s house were recovered related to Shukla. Among documents, they have recovered fixed deposit receipts of Rs 18 lakh in the joint name of Shukla and Suchita,” the FIR states.

“Saideen had paid Rs 10 lakh from his bank account on May 1, 2015 at the time of purchase of a flat in Lucknow, which was bought in the name of Suchita, who is having nominal [monthly] income of Rs 40,000 as mentioned by her in court petition filed for claiming maintenance from her ex-husband. She is not financially capable to acquire such huge assets,” the complainant alleged. The complainant alleged that Shukla had also acquired assets in the name of Saideen, which were later sold, but the amount was received by Shukla.