Bihar MLA Raju Singh: Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh will now remain in jail for 4 years. He has been sentenced to this punishment by a Delhi court in the case of the death of a female doctor during the New Year party in 2018.
New Delhi: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday sentenced Bihar MLA Raju Kumar Singh to four years in jail. This case is related to the celebratory firing that took place during a New Year party on December 31, 2018, in which Dr. Archana Gupta was killed.
4 years jail with fine 25 lakhs
- The court has also directed Singh to pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim’s husband Vikas Gupta. Special judge Vishal Gogane sentenced Singh to four years in jail under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 304 Part II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Apart from this, the court has also sentenced him to two months in jail under the Arms Act.
- The court also directed that if Singh does not pay the compensation amount to the victim’s husband, he will have to undergo an additional sentence of three months. The detailed order on the punishment is yet to be uploaded.
Will the legislature also go?
- Since Singh has been sentenced for more than two years, he can be imprisoned under the law. However, if the High Court stays this punishment then his membership may be saved.
- On July 3, the court had reserved its decision on the punishment after hearing the arguments of both the sides.
- During the sentencing hearing, Singh had sought release on probation on the basis of good behaviour. His lawyer argued that he has never been convicted in any criminal case before and he is a six-time MLA.
No MLA, no criminal record
- Citing the probation officer’s report, senior advocate Nandita Rao said Singh is on bail from the Patna High Court in one case, has been acquitted in another case, while the third case is pending in the court.
- He further said that Singh’s wife Renu Singh had told the probation officer that her husband had never been sent to jail in any case, which, according to the defense, shows that he has no previous criminal record.
Negligence or conspiracy?
The defense argued that the incident was an accident which occurred due to negligence. It was also said that Singh’s family members were also present on the dance floor and it was not certain from whose gun the bullet was fired. According to the defense, only two rounds were fired in the air and they were not aimed at anyone. MLA Raju Singh, who was present in the court, said that the person who died (Dr. Archana Gupta) was the wife of his elder brother’s friend and he treated her like a sister-in-law. His own family has also lost a close member in this incident. I didn’t commit any crime, it was a mistake.
Who is Bihar MLA Raju Kumar Singh?
MLA Raju Singh has been winning the MLA election for 6 times. Presently he is BJP MLA from Sahebganj assembly constituency of Muzaffarpur district. He won the first election in 2010 on Janata Dal UK ticket. After this, he joined BJP before the elections in 2015. During this time he fought on BJP ticket, but had to face defeat. Five years later, in 2020, he contested elections on VIP ticket and won. But once again in 2025, he won the elections on BJP ticket and is an MLA.