Class 10 pass out, a master of networking & communication

The arrested middleman thrived on his late father's political and bureaucratic connections

- Rohit Kumar Singh

LUCKNOW: Nikant Jain, 39, a Class 10 passout and middleman, whose arrest led to action against Invest UP CEO Abhishek Prakash on Thursday, thrived on political and bureaucratic connections of his late father Sudhir Kumar Jain, a seasoned businessman and a contractor of his time. He was also a partner in his elder brother Sukant Jain's group of companies and largely operated from their office in the posh Virat Khand locality of Gomti Nagar.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath cracked the whip on senior IAS officer and Invest UP CEO Abhishek Prakash by suspending him for allegedly seeking bribe through the middleman for approving a solar power plant project and ordered action against him. The Lucknow police arrested Nikant Jain, who was supposedly demanding 5% of total cost of the project as commission for approving the project, allegedly at the behest of Prakash.

Nikant's father built a sprawling bungalow in Vinamr Khand locality of Gomti Nagar, nearly a kilometer from the office from where he and his brother operated.