Lucknow: UP govt has ordered registration of a criminal case against former SP MLC Kamlesh Pathak for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.UP vigilance establishment initiated action after preliminary findings revealed that Pathak accumulated assets and incurred expenditure worth Rs 2 crore during his tenure as a public servant, exceeding his declared income of Rs 1.53 crore. Investigators have identified ₹49.48 lakh as disproportionate assets.The case has been registered under Section 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), which deals with criminal misconduct by public servants. Acting on government directives, Inspector Dharmveer Singh of the Vigilance Establishment’s Kanpur sector registered the FIR on Saturday. A detailed investigation is now underway to trace the sources of the alleged illegal assets.Pathak, a resident of Auraiya, has also faced legal action in another high-profile case. In March this year, a special MP-MLA court in Auraiya sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment under the Gangster Act in connection with the 2020 double murder case.In that case, eight co-accused, including his brothers Santosh and Ramu Pathak, were awarded five-year prison terms, while one accused was acquitted. The case related to the killing of two individuals at the Panchmukhi Temple premises on March 15, 2020, after which police invoked stringent provisions citing organized criminal activity.Vigilance Establishment has urged citizens to report bribery or misconduct by public servants through its anti-corruption helpline numbers: 9454401866 and 9454401872.The latest action underscores the state’s push for accountability, as legal challenges for the former legislator continue to grow.
