Lucknow Court Sentences Advocate to Life for Orchestrating False SC/ST Act, Rape Cases
A special court in Lucknow has delivered a landmark judgment, sentencing advocate Permanand Gupta to life imprisonment for conspiring to file fabricated legal complaints, including under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Court's verdict emphasizes the grave nature of an advocate's actions that misuse legal provisions for personal gain and has directed that the convicted lawyer be barred from legal practice.
The case was initiated by a complaint filed by Shri Radharaman Singh, a Circle Officer in Vibhuti Khand, Lucknow. The primary subject was the filing of a false First Information Report (FIR) by Pooja Rawat, the initial co-accused. Court proceedings established that advocate Permanand Gupta and his wife had a property dispute with some individuals. To counter this, they conspired with Pooja Rawat, a woman from the SC/ST community, to file multiple false complaints, including allegations of rape, molestation, and charges under the SC/ST Act, against their adversaries in the property dispute.
Court noted that the motive behind this conspiracy was to use the sensitive provisions of the SC/ST Act to exert pressure on the opposing party.
The FIR against Gupta was registered under Sections 217/49, 248/49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(2)5 of the SC/ST Act. Against Pooja Rawat, charges were invoked under Sections 217 and 248 of the BNS.
During the trial, Pooja Rawat, the co-accused, confessed to the court that she was "trapped" by advocate Permanand Gupta and his wife and was made to file the false cases. Based on this testimony, she was granted a pardon and became a witness for the prosecution. The main trial proceeded against advocate Permanand Gupta alone.
Court took into consideration that the Allahabad High Court had previously ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against both Permanand Gupta and Pooja Rawat, a fact that underscored the serious nature and repeated pattern of their actions.
Court found advocate Permanand Gupta guilty and convicted him on all charges.
Apart from misuse of legal provisions to target the rival party, court also flagged a disturbing financial angle in the matter. It found that Permanand Gupta allegedly pocketed a share of the government compensation given to Pooja Rawat, effectively turning the scheme into a money-making racket.
Therefore, Special Judge, S.C./S.T. Act, Lucknow Vivekananda Sharan Tripathi sentenced Permanand Gupta to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 under Section 217/49 of the BNS and one year of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 2,00,000 under Section 248/49 BNS.
Most significantly, Gupta received a sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 3,00,000 for his conviction under Section 3(2)5 of the SC/ST Act. The court's order specified that all sentences would run consecutively.
Court observed that no leniency should be shown to such offenders. Just as a few drops of poison can spoil an entire ocean of milk, allowing an advocate like Parmanand Gupta to continue practicing would corrode public faith in the judiciary. Court stressed that the judiciary, along with the Bar Council, must act firmly, and that imposing a severe sentence would set a necessary example.
Beyond the custodial sentences, court ordered that a copy of the judgment be sent to both the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, and the Bar Council of India, New Delhi. This measure is intended to ensure that the convicted advocate is permanently barred from practicing law and from entering court premises, thereby "maintaining the sanctity of the judiciary."
Furthermore, court directed the recovery of Rs. 8,25,000 in government compensation that Pooja Rawat had received, with the amount to be paid to the victims of the false cases, Arvind Yadav and Awadhesh Yadav. Court also ordered the immediate acquittal of Pooja Rawat, with her release warrant to be sent to the District Jail, Lucknow.
Apart from this, court ordered a copy of the judgment to be sent to the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow with the instruction that in case of FIR lodged by a person/woman under heinous crimes like repeated rape, gang rape (Section 376/376D IPC and SC/ST Act) etc., it must be mentioned that how many such FIRs have been lodged by the person/woman herself or any member of her family in the past against the opponents or against any other person or such applications have been sent on the IGRS portal or to the police station.
Such information should be mentioned as a comment in the Chik FIR written by her. Regarding section 173(4) BNSS under the application, where the plaintiff/plaintiff comes to register an FIR through the court, information about these facts should also be sent when the court asks for information about the cases already registered in the police station, court ordered.
Court suggested that for this, the help of Artificial Intelligence Tools (AI Tools) can also be taken.
Case Title: State through Circle Officer Radharaman Singh vs Parmanand Gupta and Another
Judgment Date: August 19, 2025
Judge: Special Judge, S.C./S.T. Act, Lucknow Vivekananda Sharan Tripathi