Retired IPS officer and Azad Sena president Amitabh Thakur has been arrested and sent to jail under judicial custody on charges of fraudulently buying and selling an industrial plot in Deoria.
The arrest was executed in a dramatic fashion on Tuesday night, when police intercepted him on a train.
The Arrest Operation
Acting on a request from the Lucknow Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), local police in Shahjahanpur intercepted the New Delhi-Lucknow AC Superfast train at 1:52 am on Wednesday.
Interception: Shahjahanpur SP Rajesh Dwivedi stated that Thakur was sleeping in seat number 49 of coach M-3. He was woken up and removed from the train.
Handover: Despite his protests, he was calmed down, brought to the platform, and handed over to the Lucknow Crime Branch in Maholi, Sitapur.
Judicial Process: He was subsequently taken to Deoria on Wednesday, interrogated for approximately two hours at the Deoria Kotwali, and then presented in court before being sent to judicial custody.
The Allegations: 1999 Land Fraud Case
The arrest stems from a case filed on September 12 at the Talkatora police station in Lucknow by Sanjay Sharma, a resident of Rajajipuram. The complaint charges Amitabh Thakur and his wife, Nutan Thakur, with fraud, forgery, conspiracy and dishonest deception.
Key Allegations:
Misuse of Power: It is alleged that in 1999, while posted as SP in Deoria, Thakur used his position to have an industrial plot (Number B-2) allotted by the District Industries Centre.
Forgery: The plot was allotted in the name of his wife, entered as "Nutan Devi" instead of Nutan Thakur. The husband’s name was listed as "Abhitap Thakur," and a false address (Village Khaira, Sitamarhi, Bihar) was used.
Forged Documents: Thakur allegedly prepared forged application forms, affidavits, and treasury challans to mislead government departments.
Profiteering: Later, after correcting the name and address in the records, the plot was sold for a profit. The SIT found evidence of this fraud after investigating in Deoria and Bihar.
Family's Response And Social Media Blackout
Following the incident, Nutan Thakur posted on X on Tuesday night, stating, "Some people have taken my husband off a train. No one is providing any information; they could be police officers." She was officially informed of the arrest by phone at 10 am on Wednesday.
Nutan Thakur defends her husband, claiming, "I had already surrendered the land, which is being made the basis for this action, back in the year 2000."
Amid the commotion, the X accounts of both Amitabh and Nutan Thakur have been suspended.
Context: The Cough Syrup Racket Connection
Prior to his arrest, Amitabh Thakur had been vocal about an illegal cough syrup supply racket.
Allegations against Officials: He made serious allegations linking a powerful MP from Purvanchal and various officials to the accused in the cough syrup case.
Letter to CM: On December 6, he wrote to the Chief Minister demanding an investigation into the proximity of Vikas Singh Vicky, an accused in the racket, to government officials.
History Of Controversies
This is not Amitabh Thakur's first run-in with the law.
2021 Arrest: In August 2021, he was arrested for alleged criminal conspiracy and abetment in the self-immolation of a rape victim and her witness outside the Supreme Court. He was granted bail in March 2022.
Compulsory Retirement: The 1992-batch IPS officer was given compulsory retirement in March 2021.
Mulayam Singh Yadav Case: He first gained significant public attention for filing a case against former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.