On Tuesday, 13th January, the anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal dismissed a graft complaint filed against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, calling the allegations “frivolous” and “vexatious”. In a detailed 134-page order, the Lokpal said the complainant had failed to present any credible material to show that Dubey had acquired assets beyond his known sources of income.
The order was passed by a Lokpal bench headed by Chairperson Justice A.M. Khanwilkar. The bench made it clear that there was no ground to proceed further against Dubey in the matter.
Complaint filed by ex-IPS officer Amitabh Thakur
The case was filed in May last year by former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who is presently based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and is also the national president of Azad Adhikar Sena party. Thakur had levelled charges of accumulating disproportionate assets against Dubey, which were largely based on affidavits given by Dubey in connection with elections in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024.
However, Lokpal stated that it seemed that as time went by, Thakur was constantly modifying his accusations against them instead of concentrating his arguments on some concrete facts.
Focus on wife’s assets questioned by Lokpal
A major part of Thakur’s complaint focused on the assets of Dubey’s wife, Anamika Gautam. Thakur claimed that while Dubey’s own movable and immovable properties had remained largely unchanged over the years, his wife’s assets had increased “by leaps and bounds”.
Dubey, in his response to the Lokpal, strongly denied all allegations. He stated that his wife is a professional who runs a consultancy business and regularly files her income tax returns. He also clarified that the rise in the value of her assets was mainly due to market appreciation, not because of the acquisition of new properties.
The Lokpal agreed with this explanation, stating that the increase in asset value appeared to be linked to market escalation rather than any illegal accumulation.
Lokpal terms complaint politically motivated
In its findings, the Lokpal said it found merit in Dubey’s argument that he was being targeted through repeated and baseless legal proceedings. The bench observed that the complaint seemed politically motivated and driven by personal vendetta.
The Lokpal has completely slammed the motivated campaign against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has clearly become an Achilles’ heel for the Gandhi family, and his wife Anamika Gautam, and has set aside the frivolous complaint alleging disproportionate assets.
Private individuals,… https://t.co/OMtstHfyw1 pic.twitter.com/kvsB7LcvSB— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 14, 2026
The order also criticised the complainant for indulging in “whataboutery” and attempting to drag unrelated issues into the case. It concluded that Thakur had failed to establish even a prima facie case against the BJP MP.
“To sum up, we conclude that the complainant has failed to make out any case to persuade us to proceed against the respondent public servant,” the order stated.
Issue over hearing expenses and conduct
The Lokpal also took note of an unusual request made by Thakur before one of the hearings last year. He had sought “appropriate monetary compensation” to attend the hearing, claiming he was assisting the bench in fighting corruption. Alternatively, he asked for the hearing to be held online if financial support could not be provided.
The Lokpal rejected this request, stating that such demands were not acceptable.
Show-cause notice discharged, liberty given to Dubey
The Lokpal also discharged a show-cause notice issued earlier to Thakur for making the contents of the complaint public. However, it left it to Dubey’s discretion to take legal action against the complainant for breach of privacy or damage to reputation, if he so wished.
“The complaint is accordingly disposed of as being devoid of merit,” the Lokpal said.
Amitabh Thakur is currently lodged in Deoria District Jail in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested on 10th December last year for misusing his position as SP Deoria in 1999 to fraudulently obtain an industrial plot in his wife’s name using forged documents.
