Allahabad High Court Dismisses Plea Against Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya Over Alleged Fake Degrees
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a revision petition seeking the registration of a criminal case against senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, over allegations that he had used forged educational documents to contest elections and secure a petrol pump dealership.
The petition, filed by Diwakar Nath Tripathi, a BJP leader and social activist based in Prayagraj, was deemed inadmissible.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh, delivering the judgment, ruled that the petitioner had no locus standi under Section 39 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), as he was neither a victim nor personally deceived by Maurya.
The judge clarified that Section 39 CrPC mandates public disclosure of only specific offences, such as crimes against the state or acts threatening public order, and cheating and forgery—the offences alleged here do not fall under its ambit.
“The complainant-revisionist is not a person deceived by Keshav Prasad Maurya… therefore, he had no locus to move an application under Section 156(3) CrPC,” the court observed.
It further stated that “the wheels of the criminal justice system cannot be permitted to be clogged by frivolous complaints where the complainant himself is not aggrieved or a victim in any manner.”
In strong words, the court also noted that the proceedings appeared to be “maliciously initiated” by Tripathi, motivated by personal or political vendetta rather than any genuine grievance.
The matter has a long legal history. Tripathi had initially approached the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Prayagraj, in 2021 seeking a direction to the police to register an FIR.
However, on September 4, 2021, the ACJM ruled that no cognizable offence was made out against Maurya and dismissed the plea.
Tripathi then challenged the ACJM’s decision in the high court, but his revision petition was dismissed in February 2024 due to a delay of over 300 days in filing the appeal.
Subsequently, the matter reached the Supreme Court, which condoned the delay in January 2025 and directed the Allahabad High Court to examine the case on its merits.
In line with the Supreme Court’s directions, the high court admitted the case in April 202, and reserved judgment on May 23.
With this fresh dismissal, the court has reaffirmed its stance, emphasizing that legal mechanisms should not be misused for ulterior motives, particularly when the petitioner is not directly impacted by the alleged offence.
