Complainant named Abhishek Prakash in affidavit: SIT chargesheet
2
3
4
5
Lucknow: It was a solar project in Uttar Pradesh worth over Rs 8,000 crore for which a 5% commission was allegedly demanded by middleman Nikant Jain from Vishwajeet Dutta, the representative of the solar energy firm behind the proposed venture, the SIT chargesheet has revealed.
The investigation found that Dutta, in an affidavit, also named the then CEO of Invest UP, Abhishek Prakash, who is currently under suspension, in connection with the alleged bribery case.
On May 19, the three-member SIT, which was probing allegations against the suspended IAS officer, submitted its chargesheet in the court of Special Judge Satendra Singh (PC Act-2), naming middleman Nikant Jain as the primary accused in the high-profile solar commission scam.
The court took cognisance of the chargesheet on May 21.
The chargesheet was filed under Section 308(5) (extortion involving threats of death or grievous hurt) of the BNS, and under sections 8 (bribery of a public servant) and 12 (abetment of offences) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Nikant Jain. The case stems from an FIR lodged on Jan 20 this year at Gomtinagar police station, following an FIR by Vishwajeet Dutta, a representative of SAEL Solar P6 Pvt Ltd.
Dutta alleged that Jain demanded 5% commission "on behalf of a senior officer" in exchange for expediting approvals for a solar manufacturing project proposed through Invest UP.
In his complaint to chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, Dutta claimed that Jain explicitly named the then Invest UP CEO Abhishek Prakash as the person behind the demand. After preliminary inquiry, the state govt suspended Prakash on Mar 20.
"When asked about the project, he (Dutta) said it was worth over Rs 8,000 crore and that a senior official from Invest UP gave him Jain's contact. Jain demanded 5% (cut), and when demands escalated, he backed out and was threatened. The matter was later handled by the management team," the chargesheet said. TOI has a copy of the chargesheet. The chargesheet also mentions an affidavit by Vishwajit Dutta, revealing the name of then Invest UP CEO Abhishek Prakash.
The complainant's statement was recorded, and copies of WhatsApp chats provided were attached. "On March 16, at 10:44:57 am, a 10-second call from Dutta to the accused's number was found during the analysis of call detail records," the chargesheet said. "A search operation was conducted at Jain's residence in Gomtinagar but no bribe money was recovered. An on-spot inspection was carried out, and statements from Jain's family members were recorded.
Jain's office was found locked and was sealed," the report said.
Two mobile phones (iPhones) were recovered from Jain's possession and were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for data extraction. Police have also requested call detail records (CDRs) of both the complainant and the accused. Cyber cell officers were directed to freeze Jain's debit cards and identify any other active bank accounts. A total of 22 witnesses have been named in the report.
The SIT comprised Barabanki ASP Vikas Chandra Tripathi, Gomtinagar ACP Vinay Dwivedi, and inspector Alok Rai.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
21 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Celebrating freedom with reforms: Modi promises advancements in defence, technology, manufacturing, and major development schemes
Narendra Modi government is gearing up for next GST reforms by October. On Independence day, Modi unveiled Rs 1 lakh crore jobs programme. PM also assured the nation that India will become the third-largest economy soon. PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana will facilitate creation of 35 million jobs. Government will constitute task force to look into next-generation economic reforms. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 'Diwali gift' for the people two months ahead of the festival, declaring that the next set of goods and services tax (GST) reforms will be in place by October, besides underscoring a renewed reforms push, emphasising Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat as the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built by 2047, and unveiling a Rs 1-lakh crore jobs programme, among other his 12th Independence Day speech that lasted 103 minutes, the Prime Minister also assured the nation he will soon declare from the Red Fort that India has become the third-largest economy in the the Opposition's charge of high unemployment, Modi also said the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana being launched on Independence Day will facilitate the creation of 35 million Friday, he said, 'This Diwali, you are going to get a big gift. We are coming with the next generation of GST reforms.' The announcement comes close on the heels of parliamentary approval for two key items of legislation — the Income Tax (No 2) Bill and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill — earlier this week. A total of 280 sections have been abolished in the Income Tax Prime Minister said the government has decided to constitute a task force to look into the prospects of next-generation economic reforms within a set time frame. 'Current rules, laws, policies, and procedures must be redrafted to suit the 21st century, to fit the global environment and to align with the vision of making Bharat a developed nation by 2047,' he PM said the policy changes will reduce compliance costs, besides boosting startups and small and cottage industries. Other benefits will include a smoother export process, improved logistics and systems, and the abolition of archaic laws that led to imprisonment for minor matters. Modi urged all sections, including political parties, his rivals and fellow leaders, to take part in the efforts to build a bright future.'I wish to tell my countrymen, everything I am doing, I am doing for the country, not for myself, not to harm anyone,' he said. 'Whether it is structural reforms, regulatory reforms, policy reforms, process reforms, or the need for constitutional reforms, we have made every kind of reform our mission today.'Atmanirbhar Bharat is the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built, he said. He asserted that Operation Sindoor, the Gaganyaan mission and the manufacture of indigenous semiconductors has proved the power of self-reliance.'The greater a nation's reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question,' he said. 'Misfortune arises when dependency becomes a habit, when we do not even realise it, when we abandon self-reliance and become dependent on others. This habit is fraught with danger, and hence one must remain vigilant every moment to be self-reliant.'Made-in-India weapons and defence systems helped India during Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister asserted.'The enemy had no inkling of what weapons and capabilities we possessed, what power was destroying them in the blink of an eye,' he said. 'Imagine if we were not self-reliant, could we have executed Operation Sindoor with such swiftness? We would have been plagued by worries over who might supply us, whether we would get the required equipment, and so on.'The Prime Minister also announced the Sudarshan Chakra Mission for creating a complete security cover for all civilian installations across the country in the near the 21st century is a 'technology-driven century,' it is imperative that India does not lag behind, the Prime Minister said, adding that every nation that mastered technology scaled the heights of development and attained new dimensions of economic lamented that although India began the process of building infrastructure for semiconductor manufacture six decades ago, the plan was stalled, delayed and shelved while other countries mastered the technology and strengthened their position.'Today we have freed ourselves from that burden and advanced the work on semiconductors in mission mode,' Modi said. 'Six different semiconductor units are taking shape on the ground, and we have already given the green signal to four new units.'India is becoming self-reliant in space technology as well, the Prime Minister stated.'We are also preparing for Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaganyaan on our own in space,' he said. 'We are working towards building our own space station. And I am very proud of the reforms done in space recently. More than 300 startups in my country are now working only in the space sector and thousands of youth are working with full potential in those 300 startups.'He expressed satisfaction at the pace with which the National Manufacturing Mission was progressing and reiterated the importance of the 'vocal for local,' 'zero defect, zero effect' and 'lower price, higher value' the need for promoting indigenous products, Modi urged all traders and shopkeepers across the country to put up boards, saying 'Swadeshi goods sold here.'The new jobs programme is expected to create new employment opportunities for approximately 35 million youth.'Today, on August 15th, we are launching and implementing a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of my country,' he said. 'The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is being implemented today… Under this scheme, the government will give Rs 15,000 to the youth, to every son or daughter who gets a job in the private sector.'Companies that generate more jobs will also be given incentives under the scheme.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump Putin Alaska Summit goes viral on social media. Here's funny memes, AI-generated videos, key meeting updates and full explainer
Trump Putin Alaska Summit has become a major topic on social media and news platforms. The two leaders met, shook hands, and shared a limousine ride before attending a formal summit with top aides. Surrounded by military aircraft and marked by symbolic gestures, the meeting generated viral memes, AI-generated videos, and strong political reactions worldwide. Trump Putin Alaska Summit – Full Explainer US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met in Alaska for a high-profile summit. They shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and shared a limousine ride before holding a three-on-three meeting with top aides from both sides. The meeting setting was surrounded by American F-22 fighter jets and B-2 bombers. Trump and Putin Arrival and Greeting in Alaska Both leaders arrived on separate planes, walking the red carpet that connected in the middle. Their handshake on the tarmac marked the start of the summit. They appeared engaged in conversation, with Trump patting Putin's hand during the greeting. Trump and Putin Shared Limousine Ride There was speculation about whether they would ride together. They did, sharing 'The Beast' to the meeting venue. This was seen as an opportunity for private conversation before formal talks began. Trump Putin Alaska Summit Venue, Theme and Delegates The backdrop for the event carried the message 'Pursuing Peace.' US delegates included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The Russian delegation featured Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Aide Yuri Ushakov, and Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Live Events Trump Putin Alaska Summit Funny Memes and AI-Generated Videos The Trump and Putin Alaska Meet has gone viral with multiple social media posts: User @emma6USA shared an AI-generated video showing Trump's visit with Putin, viewed over 328,000 times. — emma6USA (@emma6USA) User @PaulleyTicks posted an edited image of Trump in kneepads, captioned about negotiations. — PaulleyTicks (@PaulleyTicks) A netizen @usanaunghtun shared an AI clip portraying Trump and Putin in a virtual game fight, gaining thousands of views. — usanaunghtun (@usanaunghtun) Trump Putin Alaska Summit Public and Political Reactions Protestors in Anchorage waved Ukrainian flags to show support for Ukraine regardless of summit outcomes. Another viral post by @Bricktop_NAFO stated Ukraine would continue its defense and Russia would face defeat. Putin's Pre-Summit Appearance Before the meeting, Putin made a rare public appearance at a WWII cooperation monument. His visit was seen as a symbolic nod to US-Russia historical ties. Trump Putin Alaska Summit Military Display Social media buzzed after @Geiger_Capital claimed Trump flew a B-2 bomber over Putin's head. While the claim's authenticity remains unclear, it added to the online conversation surrounding the event. Trump Putin Alaska Summit Media Coverage and Global Attention Clips and images from the summit are being widely shared by news outlets, political commentators, and public accounts. The meeting's symbolism, setting, and optics are sparking debates on diplomacy, foreign policy, and leadership styles. FAQs What is the significance of the Trump Putin Alaska Summit? The meeting is significant for its diplomatic engagement, military backdrop, and online impact through viral videos and memes that amplified global interest. Who attended the Trump Putin Alaska Summit from both sides? The US side included Trump, Vance, Rubio, Bessent, and Witkoff. The Russian side included Putin, Belousov, Lavrov, Siluanov, Ushakov, and Dmitriev.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Power move': Trump pulls Putin, pats back during handshake; social media decodes how tall Putin is
The jury is out on who won the handshake round -- Putin or Trump? President Donald Trump greeted Russian president Vladimir Putin with a handshake that was watched closely by the world and decoded instantly by the social media body language experts as the 'alpha-male' power move. As the two leaders shook hands, Trump pulled in Putin's hand in his characteristic way of shaking hands to show dominance, though many said Putin had the "alpha top dog, knuckles up" hand, proving dominance over Trump as his hand was over Trump's hand and not the other way round. How tall is Putin? The height difference between Putin and Trump was another stark feature that caught attention as the two leaders met after 2018. Vladimir Putin is officially 5 feet 7 inches tall, while Trump is 6 feet 3 inches tall. But the visible height difference was not as much as their recorded heights. This triggered theories that Putin uses lifts to increase his actual height which could be as low as 5 feet 2 inches. "Trump is 22 cm taller than putin (190 vs. 168), yet in the photo they appear almost the same height — Putin wearing heels again?" one wrote. "Putin is supposed to be 5'7 and Trump 6'3. One of them is lying about their height..." another wrote. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally Undo B-2 bomber steals the show Social media pundits noted that the handshake of the two world leaders was overshadowed by the flyover of American military planes including B2 stealth bomber that passed overhead. Putin joined Trump in his presidential limo as they head to their meeting. "The move is unusual, particularly for an adversary. When Trump wanted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to join him in his car during their meeting in Singapore in 2018, aides talked him out of it," CNN noted "But this is a different era for Trump, with different advisers and objectives. And while their actual face-to-face meeting has been expanded to include advisers, it's an indication that Trump and Putin will still have a moment to themselves — even if it's only for a short car ride," CNN added.
