Vidushi Nautiyal, Pune
The Supreme Court on Friday held former Bihar MP Prabhunath Singh guilty in a 28-year-old double murder case.
Rajendra Rai (18) and Daroga Rai (47) were shot dead near a polling booth in Chhapra because they failed to vote as per Singh’s suggestion during the assembly elections in 1995.
As per an HT report, a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, AS Oka, and Vikram Nath found Prabhunath Singh guilty of the double murder and stated that there was sufficient proof to show that the former MP murdered the two men in March 1995.
As reported by HT, Justice Nath said, “We set aside the impugned order of the Patna high court and convict respondent no. 2, Prabhunath Singh, under Section 302 (murder) for the murders of Daroga Rai and Rajendra Rai.”
As reported by HT, Justice Nath said, “We set aside the impugned order of the Patna high court and convict respondent no. 2, Prabhunath Singh, under Section 302 (murder) for the murders of Daroga Rai and Rajendra Rai.”
He further said, “We direct the home secretary of Bihar and the director general of police of the state to arrest Prabhunath Singh and produce him before this court in custody on the next date of hearing to be heard on [the] argument of [the] sentence.”
Singh is currently serving a life sentence for another crime. In 2017, he was convicted for the murder of legislator Ashok Singh, who had defeated Prabhunath Singh in the 1995 Bihar assembly poll. Prabhunath Singh had issued threats to eliminate him within 90 days of winning the election.
The other six co-accused were found not guilty, and September 1 was set as the next date for Singh’s judgment hearing.
“Other accused were acquitted, while Prabhunath Singh has been found guilty by the SC. The DGP and Chief Secretary of Bihar asked to present Prabhunath Singh physically in court on September 1,” informed the victim’s attorney, Abhay Kumar.