The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against international shooter Vartika Singh in a forgery case
Allahabad: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has set aside criminal proceedings against international shooter Vartika Singh, observing that there was no evidence to establish cheating or forgery on her part. The order was passed by a bench headed by Justice Rajeev Singh on December 19.
The court noted that none of the material placed on record showed that Vartika Singh had prepared or used forged documents. It observed that the documents forwarded to her were also shared with officials and dignitaries for inquiry, but no investigation was conducted to identify who had actually prepared the allegedly fake letters.
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The High Court also took note of the fact that the investigating officer had earlier filed a closure report after finding no offence made out against Singh. Despite this, a chargesheet was later filed and trial proceedings were initiated, which the court held were unsustainable in law.
The case dates back to April 2020, when Rajneesh Singh, who claimed proximity to the secretary of then Union Cabinet minister Smriti Irani, allegedly approached Vartika Singh with a promise of nominating her as a member of the National Commission for Women. According to Singh’s lawyers, unsigned documents indicating her appointment were shared with her over WhatsApp, followed by a demand for ₹25 lakh.
When she refused to pay the amount, a criminal case was registered against her at Musafirkhana police station in Amethi district under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Singh later handed over the documents to the police, maintaining that she was a victim of fraud rather than a participant in it.
Allowing her plea, the High Court concluded that the continuation of criminal proceedings against Vartika Singh amounted to an abuse of the legal process and accordingly quashed the case.
(With PTI inputs)
Published: 25 Dec 2025, 05:37 pm IST
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