Bribery Scandal Rocks Education Office: Anticipatory Bail Rejected in Suicide Case

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Shalini Srivastava, the suspended District Basic Education Officer of Deoria. Srivastava is embroiled in a controversy involving alleged bribery and abetment to the suicide of an assistant teacher. Justice Vikram D Chauhan, presiding over a single-judge bench, highlighted that government offices must not operate as 'open shop for selling orders.'

The case traces back to an FIR filed on February 22 at Gulriha police station in Gorakhpur district. The complaint, lodged by Gudiya Singh, the wife of the late Krishna Mohan Singh, an assistant teacher, accuses Srivastava of demanding substantial bribes. The deceased, serving since 2016, reportedly faced demands for Rs 16 lakh each from Srivastava and clerk Sanjeev Singh, totaling Rs 48 lakh from three teachers, including Omkar Singh and Aparna Tiwari. The accusers claim the payments were coerced, involving jewelry mortgages and loans.

Allegations further suggest that Krishna Mohan Singh suffered humiliation and harassment at the BSA office, followed by a suicide on the night of February 20-21. A four-page suicide note incriminating Srivastava and video-audio evidence, as well as CCTV footage of his visit on February 20, have substantiated the charges. The High Court, citing a Supreme Court judgment, underscored the severe nature of corruption allegations, denying anticipatory bail amid concerns of misuse of governmental powers.

(With inputs from agencies.)