Chhattisgarh: Court accepts closure report in disproportionate asset case against Raman Singh's ex-Principal Secretary

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 19 : The trial court in Raipur accepted the closure report filed by Economic Offenses Wing-Anti Corruption Bureau (EOW-ACB) in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets case against Aman Singh, the former Principal Secretary to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, after no evidence could be found to substantiate the allegations.
The court, while accepting the closure report, stated that no case of disproportionate assets could be made against Aman Singh and his wife, Yasmin Singh. The ruling marks the culmination of a prolonged investigative process led by the EOW-ACB, which failed to substantiate the allegations.
The FIR in the case was lodged in 2020 on the orders from former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel after RTI activisit Uchit Sharma had accused the couple of amassing unaccounted wealth.
However, even after over three years of investigation, the EOW couldn't find any evidence to substantiate the allegations, following which the closure report was filed.
Notably, the closure report was filed by the EOW in December last year, before the current Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government took the oath of office in Chhattisgarh.
Legal circles have closely monitored the proceedings, noting the case's implications for bureaucratic integrity and legal accountability.
Noted criminal lawyer and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, who represented Aman Singh, has criticized the motives behind the FIR, describing it as a "tool for political retribution" rather than justice.
"Bhupesh Baghel's government was one of the most corrupt and vindictive regimes this country has ever seen," said Jethmalani. "They weaponized the FIR to unjustly target Aman Singh, an honest officer, and his wife Yasmin Singh, a renowned artist, forcing them to undergo trials and tribulations for several years. Targeting an officer's wife was a new low, even by Bhupesh Baghel's standards. However, the justice has finally been served with their discharge by the court."
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar, who worked with both Congress and BJP chief ministers, also drew attention to the adverse impacts of "political victimization" on governance and the morale of public servants.
"It's tragic that an officer who contributed immensely to Chhattisgarh's transformative development had to face what turned out to be baseless accusations," said Kumar. "Officers of integrity being targeted for political considerations is demoralising because not everyone can withstand the personal costs of incorruptibility in public service as Aman has been able to. I am happy for Aman Singh and his wife that the truth has prevailed."
The case has also seen judicial scrutiny at various levels, including a notable moment when the Bilaspur High Court quashed the FIR, citing a lack of substantive evidence.
However, the Supreme Court later revived the FIR on an appeal by the Congress government of Bhupesh Baghel, saying that a thorough investigation would better serve to maintain public trust and accountability.
"We quite appreciate that there could be cases of innocent public servants being entangled in investigations arising out of motivated complaints and the consequent mental agony, emotional pain, and social stigma that they would have to encounter in the process, but this small price has to be paid if there is to be a society governed by the rule of law," the apex court said.
The trial court's closure of the case, after hearing all perspectives, including the complainant's agreement with the closure report, brings to an end a high-profile legal battle.