ADelhi court on Saturday sentenced Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh to four years’ imprisonment after convicting him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the 2018 celebratory firing case that claimed the life of an architect during a New Year’s Eve party in the national capital.
The Rouse Avenue Court also awarded Singh a two-month jail term under the Arms Act and directed him to pay Rs 25 lakh in compensation to the family of the deceased, Dr Archana Gupta. The court said that if the compensation is not paid, Singh will have to serve an additional three months in prison.
The court ordered that all the sentences would run consecutively. Since the total sentence exceeds two years, Singh could lose his Bihar Assembly membership under the Representation of the People Act unless the Delhi High Court stays his conviction.
The sentencing came a day after the court reserved its order on the quantum of punishment, having heard arguments from both the prosecution and the defence and considered a report submitted by the Probation Officer.
During the hearing, the Probation Officer informed the court that Singh is also facing a murder case in Bihar, in which he has been granted bail by the Patna High Court.
Seeking a lighter sentence, the defence argued that although several criminal cases had been registered against Singh over the years, he had never been convicted. It maintained that many of the cases were politically motivated, while others had either ended in acquittal or did not result in the filing of a chargesheet.
The defence also told the court that Singh is a six-time MLA and argued that a sentence of more than two years would lead to his disqualification from the legislature. It urged the court to give him an opportunity for reformation, citing his long political career and family’s public service background.
It was further submitted that the deceased was like a sister-in-law to Singh’s family and that his wife was present on the dance floor when the incident took place. The defence described the shooting as a personal tragedy for the family.
Singh’s counsel also pointed out that he had already spent around two months in custody, had not attempted to influence the victim’s family during the trial, and had expressed regret over the incident while seeking the minimum possible sentence.
Last month, the Rouse Avenue Court convicted Singh under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code and Section 30 of the Arms Act. The court held that firing a licensed pistol at a crowded gathering was an act carried out with the knowledge that it was likely to cause death.
The case stems from a New Year’s Eve celebration held at a farmhouse in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on the night of 31 December 2018. During the celebrations, a bullet allegedly fired during celebratory gunfire struck architect Dr Archana Gupta, who later died while undergoing treatment.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered at Fatehpur Beri police station, and Delhi Police arrested Singh and others during the investigation. While convicting Singh, the court acquitted his wife, Renu Singh, along with co-accused Rana Rajesh Singh and Ramendra Singh, giving them the benefit of the doubt.