U.P. Minister’s reply sought over ‘discrepancies’ in income, assets - The HinduPublished - July 13, 2026 01:13 am IST - LucknowThe Deputy Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh has sought a response from State Minister Somendra Tomar and his wife following a complaint alleging discrepancies in their declared income and assets.The petitioner, Amitabh Thakur, a social activist based in Lucknow, said on Sunday, “Based on affidavits filed during the 2017 and 2022 U.P. Assembly elections, the couple’s total declared income during that period was approximately ₹72 lakh, whereas the total increase in their movable and immovable assets appeared to be around ₹2.13 crore. I demanded an impartial, high-level inquiry into the sources and reasons behind this alleged discrepancy. The Deputy Lokayukta of U.P. sought the response of the Minister and his wife.”Mr. Thakur also called for an investigation into the role of Mr. Tomar as Shanti Niketan Trust chairperson and the trust’s purchase of land parcels measuring approximately 47,000 sq. m. and valued at ₹10.5 crore in Kayasth Mavandi village between January 2023 and April 2025.“I lodged a formal complaint with the UP Lokayukta against Somendra Tomar — the MLA from Meerut South and Minister of State for Energy — and his wife. I informed them that their assets increased threefold relative to their income between 2017 and 2022. According to the affidavits filed by Somendra Tomar for the 2017 and 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, his total income for the period was recorded as ₹43 lakh, while his wife’s total income was ₹29 lakh. Thus, their combined income for this period stands at ₹72 lakh. In contrast, during this five-year period, the total increase in Somendra Tomar’s movable and immovable assets stands at ₹1.85 crore, while the increase in his wife’s assets is ₹28 lakh. This results in a combined asset growth of ₹2.13 crore — an amount that appears to be roughly three times their total income,” Mr. Thakur, a former 1992-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, told The Hindu.Mr. Thakur has also pointed out in his petition that facts have emerged regarding the acquisition of significant assets over the past few years by trusts linked to Mr. Tomar — namely Shanti Niketan Trust, Vinayak Educational Trust, Neelkanth Educational Trust, and Sai Educational Trust — and has demanded an investigation into the matter as well.Published - July 13, 2026 01:13 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }