Ex-MP's acquittal in double murder reversed

The Supreme Court on Friday held Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former member of Parliament (MP) Prabhunath Singh guilty in a double murder case from 1995, reversing his acquittal, which it said was a result of the failure of the state machinery and trial court to ensure a fair trial.

- Utkarsh Anand

"We have noticed that the three main stakeholders in a criminal trial, namely the investigating officer that is the part of the police of the state of Bihar, the public prosecutor, and the judiciary, have all utterly failed to keep up their respective duties and responsibilities cast upon them," noted a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, AS Oka, and Vikram Nath.

The bench held that there is sufficient evidence to show that Singh, a three-term Janata Dal (United) and one-time RJD MP from Maharajganj, murdered Rajendra Rai (18) and Daroga Rai (47), near a polling booth in Chhapra in March 1995.