Bihar BJP MLA sentenced to four years in jail for celebratory death in Delhi fire ‘we don’t need Singham or Pushpa’ | Today’s news
A Delhi court on Saturday awarded four years of simple imprisonment to Raj Kumar Singh, a BJP MLA from Bihar, on charges of murder following the death of a woman in a celebratory firing incident in 2018. Singh, an MLA from Bihar’s Sahebganj, was also ordered to pay a fine. ₹25 million fine to be paid as compensation to the victim’s family.
“We don’t need Singham or Pushpa”
“We need neither Singham nor Pushpa in the rule of law. However, the brazen act of shooting Raju Kumar Singh was an inspiration for both such aspirations,” Special Judge Vishal Gogne said on Saturday.
Singh was last month convicted under Section 304 Part II (murder not amounting to murder) of the IPC and under provisions of the Arms Act relating to breach of license conditions for the death of a woman, Archana Gupta, at a New Year party at a farm in Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri on the night of December 2, 1818.
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The 45-year-old victim was also a guest of the family of the convict himself, who was accompanied to the party by his husband and daughter.
“Legitimizes Gun Culture”
The court noted that Singh’s celebratory first strike came just before the New Year’s clock struck, while he struck the second round after the guests had exchanged New Year’s wishes at the stroke of midnight.
“The act of continuous burning by the convict reflected a callous disregard for human life and acts as an aggravating circumstance,” the judge said.
“While the convict’s firearm was a licensed weapon, his shooting serves to legitimize a gun culture that is based on muscular power assertion and predominantly male dominance,” the judge added.
“Gang leaders enter politics”
In the 34-page verdict, the court also criticized the growing gun culture, noting that Singh was apparently intoxicated by the arrogance of power and seemed to want to project his status by shooting. She said such actions fueled the ecosystem of illegal firearms and led to the entry of ‘Bahubalis’ into politics.
“In fact, many aspiring gang leaders or strongmen have entered politics in our nation at gunpoint, earning the notorious Bahubali,” the judge said.
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Singh faced a maximum sentence of ten years in prison or a fine, or both.
The court said: “Past public service alone does not entitle a convict to a token sentence such as – one or two years. Public office, especially elected office, is a function of honor and public trust, and such honor and trust are damaged and violated when such a public official commits a serious crime.”
No preferential treatment
The court stated that the only starting point for considering aggravation or mitigation could be the midpoint of the sentence range.
The court emphasized that differential and preferential treatment in the matter of punishment cannot be granted to a convict merely because he is an MLA.
“The court is satisfied that a sentence of four years to the convict would be a reasonable and adequately severe punishment for the offense under section 304 (Part II),” Justice Gogne said.
The court also rejected Singh’s request for release on probation.
He said that being in a representative public office and being responsible for upholding not only a statutory order but also a constitutional scheme, the proven act of wanton dismissal by Singh at a party which caused the death of a guest was criminal conduct totally inconsistent with his position as a public servant.
He said: “The court may further note that the convict fired on several occasions and was in fact only apprehended on the run while holding the pistol in question. Subsequently, a large number of bullets from various firearms were found at his residence and these circumstances also indicate that the convict was unconditionally lodged.”