A Delhi court has convicted Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh in a 2018 celebratory firing case.
That led to the death of a woman during a New Year party at a farmhouse in Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri. The court held Singh guilty under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as well as under provisions of the Arms Act for violating the conditions of his firearm licence. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 9.
According to the court, Singh fired multiple rounds from a licensed .22-bore pistol during New Year celebrations on the night of December 31, 2018, and January 1, 2019. One of the bullets struck and killed Archana Gupta, a guest attending the party. The judge observed that firing a weapon in a crowded gathering was a reckless and inherently dangerous act, carrying a clear risk of causing death or serious injury.
The court noted that several witnesses identified Singh as the person who fired the shots and concluded that he possessed the knowledge that such conduct was likely to endanger lives. It also found that the celebratory firing violated a key condition of his arms licence, which permitted the weapon’s use only for sports, protection or display purposes.
However, the court acquitted Singh’s wife, Renu Singh, and two other accused, Ramendra Singh and Rana Rajesh Singh. They had been charged with destroying evidence and acting with common intention by allegedly cleaning bloodstains and removing traces of the incident. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish their involvement beyond reasonable doubt.
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