Suspension of Invest UP’s ex-CEO revoked | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh govt has revoked the suspension of former Invest UP CEO Abhishek Prakash who was suspended a year ago on bribery allegations in a proposed solar power project in the state.Senior home department officials confirmed to TOI that Prakash’s suspension has been revoked.The decision came after a Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court quashed the criminal proceedings against businessman Nikant Jain last month. Jain was booked on charges of extortion and corruption in the proposed solar power project. It, however, found that no prima facie offence under the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita or the Prevention of Corruption Act was made out in the case. The court had noted that the complainant had admitted that the complaint arose from a misunderstanding and that no money was paid. Prakash was posted as Invest UP CEO when he was suspended on March 20, 2025, and attached to the Board of Revenue following allegations of bribery. Prakash, a 2006 IAS batch officer, also served as Lucknow DM during the Covid-19 pandemic.The controversy originated after Vishwajit Datta of SAEL Solar P6 Pvt Ltd alleged that Jain had demanded 5% of the project cost as bribe to secure approval for the project and that this demand was made at Prakash’s behest.Based on the complaint, Lucknow Police had arrested Jain and registered a criminal case. A preliminary inquiry conducted by the state govt also pointed to alleged procedural irregularities in the handling of the project proposal, leading to the suspension of Prakash. However, during the HC proceedings, Datta filed a counter-affidavit on Dec 10, 2025, stating that the complaint was lodged due to confusion and misunderstanding. He acknowledged that approvals from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority and UPPCL regarding land allotment and electricity subsidy were still pending, which resulted in the project being deferred. Datta had told the court that no money was paid to Jain.
