LACCFED scam: Former MD gets 6-year imprisonment

Lucknow: A Special Court for Anti-Corruption/CBI/ED in Lucknow on Monday sentenced former LACCFED MD BP Singh (66) to six-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh under the PMLA, 2002. BP Singh served as the managing director for Labour and Construction Cooperative Federation (LACCFED).This is his second conviction in the scam which took place in 2012. The first conviction was in 2015 in which he was sentenced for 10 years' imprisonment. The order was pronounced by special judge Rahul Prakash. Prosecutors in Lucknow said that it is the biggest quantum of punishment ever given in a PMLA case judgment in Uttar Pradesh. BP Singh was earlier convicted on Sept 3, 2025, under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA. The court found that despite attachment orders, Singh attempted to sell properties through registered agreements and that his counsel tried to intimidate witnesses, obstructing judicial proceedings. He was taken into custody after a non-bailable warrant was issued.During the sentencing, ED prosecutors Kuldeep Srivastava and Aseem Pratap Singh argued for maximum punishment, citing repeated violations and misconduct. The defence sought leniency on grounds of old age, ill health, and lack of income, claiming Singh acted on his lawyer's advice. Rejecting the plea, the court cited Supreme Court rulings emphasizing money laundering as a grave offence threatening the nation's financial integrity and sovereignty.The court noted that BP Singh acquired properties with the proceeds of crime. Despite opportunities, Singh failed to provide evidence disproving the acquisition of properties through illicit means. The court, therefore, convicted him under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA, revoking his bail and ordering his arrest. The court also addressed the conduct of Singh's counsel, Raj Bikram Singh, who allegedly attempted to influence the proceedings through intimidation and false allegations against the judiciary. Along with imprisonment, the court ordered confiscation of eight properties valued at over Rs 1.47 crore. These assets, earlier provisionally attached by ED, now stand vested in the central govt. The court directed that the time Singh already spent in custody would be adjusted against his sentence. The scam came to light in Jan 2012 when then general manager (administration & finance), PN Singh Yadav, discovered that Rs 12.36 crore had been withdrawn from the federation's account without project details. In Aug 2012, SIB arrested Pankaj Tripathi, then GM (administration), while a chief engineer surrendered in court. In Feb 2015, a Lucknow special sessions court delivered its judgment, acquitting seven persons, including three senior ministers of the Mayawati govt -- Rangnath Mishra, Badshah Singh and Chandradev Ram Yadav.The court convicted s even people including BP Singh.