Bahraich (UP), April 9 Properties worth around Rs 110 crore belonging to Zila Panchayat member Devendra Singh, also known as "Gabbar," which were attached in connection with a gangster-related case, have been released after the Supreme Court quashed the proceedings against him, officials said.
Acting on the Supreme Court's order passed in March, the district administration released around a dozen properties linked to Singh on April 7.
Devendra, a resident of Mohanpur Mafi village under the Payagpur police station area, has more than 50 criminal cases registered against him, including attempted murder, abduction, and extortion. His brother, Ravindra Singh, is the village head.
In 2022, the police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on Devendra and Rs 25,000 on his associate, Manish Jaiswal. Following multiple cases of fraud, encroachment, and extortion, the police also invoked the Gangster Act against him.
Both were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh STF in February 2022 and sent to jail. The Gangster Act was formally invoked against Devendra in July that year, after which nearly a dozen properties linked to him were attached by the then district magistrate.
Devendra was granted bail last year and was later released from jail.
His counsel, Uttam Singh, said a petition seeking the quashing of the Gangster Act FIR was filed in the Supreme Court last year after no relief was granted by the High Court.
"In its affidavit before the Supreme Court, the state government stated that Devendra Singh was not a land mafia, following which the court set aside the Gangster Act proceedings against him," the counsel said.
He added that in compliance with the court's order, the administration released properties on April 7, including a guest house, six market shops, four plots, and a residential house in the city. Proceedings are also underway to release another property in Kaiserganj tehsil.
City Magistrate Rajesh Prasad said the properties had been attached under orders issued in 2022. He added that on March 26, 2026, the Gangster court here directed their release in compliance with the Supreme Court's order, following which District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi issued directions on April 7 to restore possession to Singh.