High Court Clears International Shooter Vartika Singh in Forgery Case

The Allahabad High Court acquitted international shooter Vartika Singh of forgery charges related to alleged fake documents. The court found no evidence against Singh, whose legal team argued she was falsely implicated after refusing a bribe. A lack of inquiry into the document's origins supported her exoneration.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has exonerated international shooter Vartika Singh of forgery allegations, pertaining to purported forged letters allegedly linked to a Union Cabinet minister. The ruling found no evidence of cheating against Singh, with Justice Rajeev Singh noting the absence of any inquiry into the document's origins.

The incident dates back to April 2020, with Rajneesh Singh, purportedly connected to the secretary of former cabinet minister Smriti Irani, allegedly misleading Vartika Singh with promises of a position in the National Commission for Women. When Singh refused to pay Rs 25 lakh, charges of forgery were filed against her.

Vartika Singh's defense, led by Mahendra Bahadur Singh and Rohit Kumar Tripathi, contended that she was wrongly accused following her refusal to pay the bribe. They argued the chargesheet was filed without substantial evidence, and the lack of an inquiry into the person responsible for creating the fake documents bolstered her case for acquittal.

(With inputs from agencies.)