Lucknow Special Court Sentences Advocate to Life Imprisonment for Misusing Dalit Woman’s Identity in Fake Cases
Some cases even involved forged documents and were filed without her full consent.
LUCKNOW– In a landmark judgment, a Special SC/ST Court in Lucknow sentenced advocate Parmanand Gupta to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5.10 lakh for orchestrating dozens of fake cases under the SC/ST Act by misusing the identity of a Dalit woman.
The investigation revealed that Gupta coerced the woman, a resident of rural Lucknow, into lending her name for false complaints against his rivals, including fellow lawyers and businessmen. Some cases even involved forged documents and were filed without her full consent.
According to police, Gupta exploited the stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, filing fabricated cases of rape, atrocities, and harassment to either extort money or tarnish reputations.
During the trial, Special Judge (SC/ST Act) Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi noted that Gupta’s conduct was “a betrayal of the legal profession” and ordered that part of the fine be used to compensate the Dalit woman whose identity was misused. The court also recommended his disbarment by the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh.
The verdict has been widely welcomed by police, civil rights groups, and victims of Gupta’s schemes. Legal experts say the case is a precedent-setting judgment, highlighting the need to protect genuine victims while curbing misuse of protective laws.
Meanwhile, Gupta’s legal team has announced plans to appeal before the Allahabad High Court. Police are also probing whether he was part of a wider network running similar fraudulent schemes.
