Supreme Court has rejected Munna Shukla’s plea and upheld his life term for killing RJD minister Brij Bihari Prasad in 1998. The court dismissed the review request, ending a decades-long legal fight.
New Delhi: Today, On May 15, The Supreme Court of India has finally confirmed the life imprisonment of Vijay Kumar Shukla, who is also known as Munna Shukla.
He is a former politician with a criminal background. The case is related to the 1998 murder of former RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) minister Brij Bihari Prasad, which took place in Patna, Bihar.
The highest court in the country, with a bench made up of former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan, rejected the pleas of Munna Shukla and his co-accused, Mantu Tiwari, who had both requested the Supreme Court to reconsider an earlier judgment.
These requests were made in the form of review petitions. However, the bench dismissed these petitions, thereby upholding their conviction and punishment.
This legal development comes after a long legal battle that started more than two decades ago.
The murder of Brij Bihari Prasad in 1998 was a major political and criminal incident in Bihar, as he was a sitting minister at the time and had several enemies due to his political influence and criminal cases.
He was shot dead in broad daylight inside the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) hospital premises in Patna, where he had gone for a check-up.
The murder shocked the political community and the public alike.
On October 3 last year (2024), the Supreme Court had found Munna Shukla and Mantu Tiwari guilty in the murder case.
The court convicted both of them after thoroughly examining the evidence and witness testimonies that were part of the trial court and High Court proceedings.
The Supreme Court said the evidence clearly showed their involvement in the murder and thus sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The accused, however, were not satisfied with the verdict and filed review petitions, asking the court to take another look at the decision.
But after reviewing their pleas, the bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna stood firm on its decision and refused to make any changes.
This means that both Munna Shukla and Mantu Tiwari will now have to serve life terms in prison without any relief.
This case is seen as a landmark judgment because it shows that no one is above the law, not even those with political power or connections.
It also reflects the Supreme Court’s stand on serious crimes like political murders, which have been a major concern in states like Bihar.
The Supreme Court order clearly states the dismissal of the review petitions:
“The bench of former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan dismissed pleas of Shukla and a co-convict seeking a review of a top court verdict.”
Earlier, the same bench had given the final verdict on October 3,
which said:
“On October 3, last year, the top court convicted Shukla and one Mantu Tiwari in the case.”
With the Supreme Court rejecting the review pleas, all legal options for Munna Shukla and Mantu Tiwari have now come to an end, unless they seek presidential pardon or file a curative petition, which is rarely accepted.
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This final decision brings closure to a case that has lasted over 25 years and highlights the long arm of the law catching up with those who try to misuse power and commit crimes.
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