A Delhi court on Saturday convicted Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh of culpable homicide in a celebratory firing death case inside his farmhouse in south Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri on New Year’s Eve in 2018. The firing had led to the death of a 45-year-old woman.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court in his June 6 judgment convicted Singh under Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC and Section 30 of the Arms Act (punishment for contravention of licence or rule). On June 9, arguments on the sentence will be heard by the court.
During a New Year’s eve gathering at his farmhouse at Ambedkar Colony’s Rose Farm, Singh had fired gunshots in the air, which hit a woman, Archana Gupta. She was taken to a hospital, where she died during treatment. The complainant in this case was her husband.
“The court has reached a firm finding that accused Raju Kumar Singh, identified by name and before the court by multiple eyewitnesses, fired the fatal bullet which caused the death of Archana Gupta. Since the accused was firing from a deadly weapon inter alia a firearm (pistol) in a crowded party with people dancing on the dance floor, interacting with each other and also exchanging pleasantries around mid night on the fateful night, the complexion of the area of the dance floor was that of a place reasonably crowded and teeming with people,” the judgment said.
The prosecution had examined 33 witnesses in total of which seven were eyewitnesses.
