Lucknow, Dec 25, 2025: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against international shooter Vartika Singh in a case related to alleged forgery and cheating, observing that there was no evidence to establish her involvement in any offence.

A bench headed by Justice Rajeev Singh, in an order passed on December 19, held that the material placed before the court did not disclose any act of cheating or forgery by the athlete. “There is no evidence of cheating against the applicant, Vartika Singh, in the entire material available before the court,” the bench noted.

Court’s Observations

The High Court pointed out that the documents in question, which were allegedly forged letters indicating Singh’s appointment to a statutory body, were not prepared by her. The court observed that these documents had been forwarded not only to Singh but also to officials and other dignitaries for the purpose of inquiry.

Importantly, the court noted that no investigation was conducted to identify who had actually prepared the forged documents, a crucial lapse in the probe. It further recorded that the investigating officer had earlier filed a closure report, concluding that no offence was made out against Vartika Singh.

In view of these findings, the court held that the continuation of criminal proceedings against her would amount to an abuse of the process of law and accordingly set aside the case.

Background of the Case

The case dates back to April 2020, when Rajneesh Singh, who claimed proximity to the then Union cabinet minister Smriti Irani, allegedly approached Vartika Singh with an offer to secure her nomination as a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) in New Delhi.

According to Singh’s legal team, Rajneesh Singh shared unsigned appointment-related documents with her via WhatsApp, suggesting that her nomination had been finalised. He allegedly later demanded ₹25 lakh from her in return for the purported appointment.

When Vartika Singh refused to pay the amount, a criminal case was lodged against her in 2020 at Musafirkhana police station in Amethi district under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, alleging forgery and cheating.

Legal Challenge and Arguments

Following the police investigation, a chargesheet was filed, and a judicial magistrate issued process for Singh to face trial. Challenging these proceedings before the High Court, her counsel Mahendra Bahadur Singh and Rohit Kumar Tripathi argued that she had been falsely implicated after declining to pay the demanded money.

They submitted that Singh had herself handed over the disputed documents to the police and had cooperated fully with the investigation. Despite this, no effort was made by the authorities to trace the origin of the forged documents or identify the person responsible for preparing them.

The defence contended that filing a chargesheet against Singh without any incriminating evidence was unjustified and legally untenable.

Relief for the Athlete

Accepting these arguments, the Allahabad High Court ruled in Singh’s favour, bringing relief to the international shooter and effectively ending a case that had been pending for over four years.

The order reinforces the principle that criminal proceedings cannot be sustained in the absence of clear evidence and that investigative agencies must identify the real perpetrators rather than proceed against individuals without substantiated allegations.