Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh sentenced to four years

A Delhi court has sentenced Bihar BJP legislator Raju Kumar Singh to four years in prison for his role in a fatal celebratory shooting on New Year's Eve 2018, a conviction that places his Assembly membership in jeopardy. The sentence was handed down on Saturday, July 4, by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court.

Singh, a six-term MLA representing the Sahebganj constituency in Muzaffarpur district, was convicted on June 6 on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and violations of the Arms Act. The case stemmed from an incident on the night of December 31, 2018, and into January 1, 2019, at Singh's farmhouse in Delhi's Fatehpur Beri. During New Year celebrations, Singh allegedly fired his licensed weapon. A bullet struck Dr. Archana Gupta, a 45-year-old guest at the party, who later died during treatment.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of 25 lakh rupees, to be paid as compensation to Gupta's family. The court rejected a defense plea for probation, noting that Singh, as an educated public servant, possessed full knowledge that discharging a firearm into a crowded gathering could have fatal consequences. The judgment stated...