Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh Sentenced To 4 Years In 2018 Celebratory Firing Death Case
A Delhi court has sentenced Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh to four years' imprisonment in connection with a celebratory firing incident that claimed the life of a woman doctor during a New Year's Eve gathering in 2018. The verdict could have significant political consequences, as the conviction may affect his membership of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
The judgment was delivered by the Rouse Avenue Court, which found Singh guilty under provisions of the Indian Penal Code related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with offences under the Arms Act. In addition to the four-year prison term, the court also imposed a separate two-month sentence for the Arms Act violation.
The court directed the legislator to pay ₹25 lakh as compensation to the victim's family. It further ruled that failure to deposit the compensation would result in an additional three months of imprisonment.
The case stems from a New Year's Eve celebration held at Singh's farmhouse in Delhi's Vasant Kunj on December 31, 2018. During the event, gunfire was allegedly opened in celebration, and one of the bullets struck Dr. Archana Gupta. She was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to her injuries.
Following the incident, Delhi Police carried out an investigation and filed a chargesheet against Singh. After examining the evidence and hearing the case, the court convicted him before pronouncing the sentence.
Raju Kumar Singh currently represents the Sahebganj Assembly constituency in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. He was elected to the Assembly in 2020 on a Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) ticket before later joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
With the sentence exceeding two years, Singh now faces the possibility of disqualification as an MLA under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. However, the final outcome will depend on whether a higher court grants him relief by staying the conviction or the sentence pending appeal.
