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Lucknow: Special Judge (SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act) Vivekananda Sharan Tripathi on Tuesday imposed a life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5.1 lakh to lawyer Parmanand Gupta for misusing the provisions of SC/ST Act through a Dalit woman for misusing the provisions of SC/ST Act. The accused is currently lodged in Lucknow District Jail.

The court convicted Gupta under Section 248 (making false accusations of any crime with the intention of hurting someone), 217 (to give a public servant false information with the intention of misusing his legitimate power). The court acquitted the co-accused woman (name secret) and warned her that strict legal action would be taken to misuse the SC/ST provisions to file false cases of gang rape in future. He was released on bail bonds and bonds of Rs 20,000.

Special Public Prosecutor Arvind Mishra said that Gupta, along with a woman of Scheduled Caste, filed dozens of concocted cases, mainly involved in her opponents. The record revealed that Gupta himself registered 18 false cases, while the woman registered 11 more cases, many of which included serious allegations like rape and molestation.

Mishra said that the investigation later revealed that these cases were malicious attempts to harass her opponents and put them in jail. While giving the verdict, Special Judge (SC/ST Act) Vivekananda Sharan Tripathi said, “Just as a few drops of sour fluid can spoil the ocean of whole milk, allowing people like advocate Parmanand Gupta to misuse the law will harm the judiciary’s credibility.” The special judge reiterated that it is necessary to punish criminals like Gupta to maintain public confidence in the judiciary.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Radha Raman Singh said that in February 2025, a woman had filed an FIR against two men at the Vibhuti Khand police station under the gang rape and ST/SC Act. Singh, who led the investigation, revealed that the women’s claims of being present at the alleged crime site between March and July 2024 were false, as several witnesses confirmed her absence from that place.

Singh said, “The investigation revealed that Gupta’s wife was involved in a property dispute with the accused family and took advantage of the complainant being the Scheduled Caste (SC) of the woman and filed several cases of rape and harassment against her opponents.” On receiving Singh’s report, the special court framed charges against both the accused.

‘Use AI to find false cases again and again’

The special judge’s court has ordered a copy of the verdict to the Council of India and the Bar Council of UP to ensure that the convicts like Advocate Parmanand Gupta are prevented from the court premises and advocates to maintain the sanctity of the profession. The Lucknow Police Commissioner was directed to ensure that in future, whenever an FIR is repeatedly filed by the same complainant or family for misuse of rape, gang rape or SC/ST provisions, it should be recorded in the FIR and investigation record. The court repeatedly suggested using AI-based equipment to monitor the pattern of false complaints.