Raju Kumar Singh, BJP MLA from Sahibganj, Bihar, convicted in the case of culpable homicide, was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, while pronouncing the sentence, also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Raju Singh. This punishment has been given in the case of death of female doctor Archana Gupta due to firing at a party on New Year’s Eve in Vasant Kunj, Delhi.
On Friday, the court had convicted him in this case. On Friday, he had appealed to the Delhi court to waive the jail sentence. He argued that he committed the crime due to “lack of scientific knowledge” as he could not predict the parabolic path of the bullet.
this argument Rouse Avenue Court It was given before Special Judge Vishal Gogane, who was hearing arguments on the sentence period in the case. The court has reserved its order for Saturday.
The court had held the MLA guilty
On June 6, the court had convicted Raju Kumar Singh, the sitting BJP MLA from Sahebganj, Bihar, in a case. Special Judge Gogane admitted that Raju Singh had fired the fatal bullet that killed Gupta. They had convicted him under Section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 30 of the Arms Act (punishment for breach of license or rule).
After the conviction, Singh was immediately taken into judicial custody, as he was out on bail in this case since February 2019. The maximum punishment for these crimes is 10 years in jail.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted Singh’s wife, Renu Singh, and two others of charges of destruction of evidence as no concrete evidence was found against them.
The MLA’s lawyer had given this argument
In the last hearing, Singh moved an application under Section 4 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, which empowers the court to release certain convicted criminals on probation for good behavior instead of imposing immediate jail or fine. In response, the court sought a report from the probation officer about any previous cases against Singh and the possibility of his rehabilitation.
Seeking lesser punishment, lawyer Rajiv Mohan, appearing for Singh, said, “I fired the bullet due to lack of scientific knowledge… It is a case of subjective negligence. I took all precautions but I did not understand the parabolic path (of the bullet).”
The lawyer further said, “I did not aim at the ground, nor were there any people on the roof, and I did not aim there either. It is not a morally bad thing to do. If a sentence of less than two years is to be considered, it should be done.”
Court sentenced four years imprisonment
Senior advocate Nandita Rao, appearing for Singh, cited the probation report and said that Singh has not been convicted in any other case. He said, “What happened at my farmhouse was a serious incident, but there was no intention behind it. My wife and children shouldered the victim and took him to the hospital in my own car. The behavior of the accused shows his deep sorrow and sense of responsibility. I regret this incident and want a chance to reform.”
The lawyer further said, “There are many cases against me on the complaints of my political opponents, but no one ever said that I waved a weapon or fired a shot in the air. A punishment of less than two years should be considered so that I can save my seat.”
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