Supreme Court Convicts Prabhunath Singh in 1995 Murders: Directs Compensation for Victims’ Heirs
The Supreme Court, in a pivotal judgment, has held former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, Prabhunath Singh, responsible for a double murder during the 1995 Legislative Assembly elections in Bihar. Singh was accused of having
“opened fire on a group of persons for not voting as per his wish”,
leading to the tragic deaths of two individuals.
This case was brought before the apex court following appeals initiated by the brother of one of the deceased victims. Earlier, the Patna High Court, acting on a suo motu revision criminal petition, had
“refused to interfere with the trial court order acquitting the RJD leader,”
prompting the subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court.
After convicting Singh on August 18, the Supreme Court scheduled a sentencing hearing for September1. In its recent decision, the Court has mandated a compensation of ₹50 lakh for the legal heirs of the two deceased and a court witness, whom Singh was convicted of attempting to murder.
Detailing the compensation structure, the Court decreed that
“Out of this, ₹25 lakh is to be paid by Singh. Of this amount, the legal heirs of the two deceased were ordered to be paid ₹10 lakh each and the attempt-to-murder victim (or her legal heir) is to be given ₹5 lakh.”
Furthermore, the Court directed that
“The remaining ₹25 lakh is to be paid by the State to these persons on similar terms, to compensate for the trauma and harassment faced by them.”
Defending Prabhunath Singh in the Court were Senior Advocates R Basant and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, assisted by advocates Neeraj Shekhar and Sunny Choudhary. This landmark case emphasizes the judiciary’s unwavering commitment to delivering justice, even in cases involving high-profile political figures.
