CBI registers second corruption case against former Allahabad High Court judge Justice SN Shukla

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a second case against former Allahabad High Court Justice SN Shukla and his wife for allegedly acquiring disproportionate assets worth ₹2.55 crore during his tenure as a judge..The first information report (FIR) was lodged today after a written complaint was filed on February 20 by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, CBI.The FIR said that prima-facie Justice Shukla had allegedly acquired assets worth ₹2,54,56,786 in the name of his wife, Suchita Tiwari and brother of first wife, Saideen Tiwari during the period from April 1, 2014 to December 6, 2019.This is the second corruption case against the judge.Previously, he was booked by CBI for accepting bribes from Prasad Education Trust-run Glocal Medical College in return for favourable verdictsCBI had registered a corruption case on December 4, 2019 against the former judge for the offence of criminal conspiracy under Indian Penal Code and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Thereafter, as part of inquiry, CBI conducted searches at the residence of former judge.During the investigation of the case, sources informed the CBI that Justice Shukla being a public servant had intentionally enriched himself illicitly and acquired assets by corrupt and illegal means in the name of his wife and first wife's brother..The allegations against Shuka emerged in 2017 when medical institutions were learnt to have made payments running into crores to bribe senior members of the judiciary. The purpose of the payments was securing favourable verdicts in pleas challenging the revocation of the college's recognition.One of the names that surfaced during the inquiries was Justice Shukla's. After a complaint against him was moved by the Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh in November 2017, an in-house committee constituted by then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra indicted Justice Shukla.After the committee's indictment of Justice Shukla for wrongdoing, he was reportedly requested to resign his position as judge, which he refused..Subsequently, in June 2019, then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had also sought Justice Shukla's impeachment. However, the same was not acted upon.The CBI commenced investigations against the judge in 2017 with a preliminary inquiry. In 2019, after sanction from CJI Gogoi, the CBI initiated criminal proceedings against the judge, charging him with accepting illegal gratification in cases pertaining to the college.Justice Shukla retired from service in 2020..[Read FIR]