The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court acquitted Samajwadi Party rebel MLA Abhay Singh in a 2010 attempted murder case, citing insufficient and inconsistent evidence. Justice Rajan Roy delivered the judgment at 4:10 PM, bringing closure to a legal battle that had seen conflicting rulings and years of litigation.
The court observed that the prosecution had failed to establish a convincing case. Notably, the First Information Report (FIR) reportedly contained discrepancies regarding the time of the incident and the number of attackers involved. Furthermore, the weapons allegedly used were not clearly identified, and the statements of the complainant, Vikas Singh, had changed on multiple occasions, creating serious doubts about the credibility of the allegations.
“These inconsistencies, coupled with the lack of concrete evidence, do not sustain the charges framed against the accused,” Justice Roy noted in the verdict, dismissing the appeal and acquitting all involved.
The case had taken a complicated turn in December 2024 when two different judges of the High Court gave contradictory judgments. While Justice A.R. Masoodi had sentenced Abhay Singh and four others to three years in jail, Justice Ajay Kumar Srivastava had acquitted all accused. The conflicting opinions led to the matter being referred to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, who assigned it to Justice Roy for a final decision.
The case dates back to 2010, when Vikas Singh, a resident of Maharajganj in Ayodhya district, alleged that Abhay Singh and his associates fired at his vehicle. In 2023, a special MP/MLA court had acquitted Singh, citing lack of evidence. However, Singh later challenged the verdict in the High Court, prolonging the legal tussle.
With Thursday’s ruling, Abhay Singh and his co-accused have now been formally cleared of all charges.
