Supreme Court Convicts Ex-MP Prabhunath Singh in 1995 Double Murder Case, Overturning Previous Acquittal
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday convicted Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Lok Sabha MP from Bihar, Prabhunath Singh, in a 1995 double murder case. This decision reverses the acquittal orders previously granted by the trial court and later confirmed by the Patna High Court.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The case pertains to the murder of 18-year-old Rajendra Rai and 47-year-old Daroga Rai near a polling booth in Bihar’s Chhapra in March 1995. Singh, who was contesting elections as a candidate of the Bihar People’s Party (BPP) at the time, was initially acquitted by the Patna court in 2008 due to a lack of evidence. This acquittal was upheld by the high court in 2012.
However, the apex court’s judgment came in response to a plea filed by Rajendra Rai’s brother, challenging the acquittal that was affirmed by the Patna High Court.
Describing the case as an
“Exceptionally painful episode of the criminal justice system,”
the bench comprising Justices SK Kaul, AS Oka, and Vikram Nath stated that there was ample evidence indicating Singh’s involvement in the crime. The court also criticized the investigation, highlighting it as tainted and indicative of Singh’s high-handedness, given his influential position as a sitting MP of the ruling party at the time.
The Supreme Court has directed the Home Secretary of Bihar and the Director General of Police to take Singh into custody and present him before the court on September 1, when the quantum of his sentence will be determined.
In a scathing observation, the court noted,
“Everything was going as per the plan and wish of the main accused Prabhunath Singh, a political leader and a sitting Member of Parliament at the relevant time as he had mustered full support of the administration and the investigating agency.”
The court further pointed out that Singh had influenced and won over almost all the witnesses mentioned in the chargesheet, many of whom were declared hostile.
The court also shed light on a pivotal moment in the case when Singh made a grave error by abducting Lalmuni Devi, the mother of the deceased Rajendra Rai, just ten days before her statement was to be recorded. This act led to the filing of a Habeas Corpus Petition before the High Court.
Criticizing both the trial court and the High Court, the Supreme Court expressed its disappointment, stating that both courts
“failed to take into consideration the conduct of the accused subsequent to the incident”
and did not draw any adverse inference against him regarding their guilt. The apex court further emphasized that the courts overlooked the manner of the investigation, the role of the prosecutor, and the high-handedness of the accused.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court underscored the importance of due diligence and honesty in the prosecution process, emphasizing that the public prosecutor should act in the interest of justice rather than favoring the accused.
