The CBI has booked Allahabad High Court judge SN Shukla in a corruption case for allegedly favouring a medical college and conducted searches at his Lucknow residence. The CBI carried out searches in Meerut and Delhi.

Besides Shukla, the agency has also named IM Quddusi, a retired judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Bhagwan Prasad Yadav and Palash Yadav of the Prasad Education Trust, the trust and private persons Bhavna Pandey and Sudhir Giri in the graft case, officials said.

The accused were booked under section 120-B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After registering the FIR, the CBI started conducting searches at multiple locations in Lucknow, Meerut and Delhi, they said.

It was alleged in the FIR that Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences based at Lucknow was debarred by the Centre for admitting medical students for the forthcoming two years due to sub-standard facilities and non-fulfilment of the required criteria in May, 2017, along with 46 other medical colleges, which were debarred on similar grounds, officials said.

This decision of the Centre was opposed by the medical institute before the Supreme Court. “Subsequently, a conspiracy was hatched between the accused and the writ petition filed before the SC was withdrawn with the permission of the court and a writ petition was filed before the Division Bench of Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench on August 24, 2017,” the CBI said in a statement.

It was further alleged in the FIR that this petition was heard on August 25 by the Division Bench of Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench comprising the accused Judge and an order was passed on the same day, they added.

In order to get a favourable order, an alleged illegal gratification was paid to one of FIR named persons by the private persons of accused medical college, the officials further said.

Searches have led to recovery of certain incriminating documents including investments and financial transactions, the CBI said.