Lucknow: In a significant judgment highlighting the misuse of legal provisions, a Lucknow-based lawyer, Lakhan Singh, has been sentenced to ten years and six months of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh for repeatedly filing false FIRs, including a fabricated case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The verdict, delivered by a special judge of the SC/ST court, also recommended that the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council revoke Singh’s licence to practice law. The court emphasized that Singh’s actions constituted a gross abuse of the judicial process and that he had deliberately attempted to misuse protective legal provisions to settle personal scores.
The case dates back to February 2014, when Lakhan Singh lodged an FIR against one Sunil Dubey and his associates, accusing them of attempted murder and using casteist slurs. The FIR was registered under the stringent provisions of the SC/ST Act. However, a detailed investigation led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Dhirendra Rai exposed serious discrepancies in Singh’s claims.
Mobile phone location data, along with eyewitness testimonies, revealed that Dubey was not present at the scene of the alleged incident. Further investigation showed that on the day of the FIR, Singh had a minor road accident involving a mini-loader truck. Rather than reporting the mishap, Singh allegedly settled the matter privately by accepting Rs 12,000 from the truck driver. Shockingly, he later used this incident as the foundation for his fabricated allegations against Dubey.
The probe unearthed a long-standing pattern of harassment by Singh. Between 1990 and 2009, he had filed at least seven FIRs against Dubey and his family, alleging charges including attempted murder, fraud, and forgery. Police had filed final reports in six of these cases due to lack of evidence. The motive, investigators found, stemmed from a prolonged land dispute between the two parties over a three-acre plot in the Krishna Nagar area.
The investigating officer concluded that Singh had abused his legal knowledge and status as a lawyer to target his adversaries through false legal action and recommended punitive action for attempting to frame innocent individuals.
The court strongly condemned Singh’s misuse of the SC/ST Act—a law intended to safeguard marginalised communities—for personal vendetta. It noted that had the police proceeded to file a chargesheet based on the false FIR, innocent individuals could have unjustly spent years behind bars.
In addition to the prison sentence and fine, the court has directed that copies of its judgment be forwarded to the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, the Lucknow District Magistrate, and the Police Commissioner. It also instructed authorities to initiate recovery of any government compensation or relief Singh might have fraudulently obtained through his fabricated claims.
The trial began in 2024 and spanned 21 months, during which 11 hearings were conducted. Despite multiple opportunities to present evidence in his defense and even being assigned legal aid, Singh failed to substantiate any of his claims. His protest petition was dismissed following re-investigation, which reaffirmed the falsehood of the FIR.
The case serves as a stern warning against the manipulation of the judicial system and the misuse of laws designed to protect the vulnerable.
