Delhi court convicts BJP MLA in 2018 New Year firing case

Patna: A Delhi court on Saturday convicted Raju Kumar Singh, BJP MLA from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur, in a 2018 New Year party firing case that led to the death of Dr Archana Gupta. The Rouse Avenue Court ordered that he be taken into custody. Singh has been held guilty under IPC Section 304 Part II for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and Section 30 of the Arms Act. The court acquitted his wife Renu Singh, Rana Rajesh Singh and Ramendra Singh of all charges.

The case relates to celebratory firing during a New Year party on Dec 31, 2018, at a farmhouse in Fatehpur Beri in Delhi. Dr Gupta was hit by a bullet in the head and died in hospital on Jan 3, 2019. An FIR was registered at Fatehpur Beri police station in connection with the incident.

Raju, born Jan 12, 1970, in Anandpur Kharauni village of Paru, is a four-time MLA from Sahebganj. He became a minister in the Bihar govt on Feb 26, 2025.

He entered politics in 2005, winning on an LJP ticket. Following a split in the party the same year, he joined JD(U) and secured another victory in the Oct polls. He was re-elected in 2010.

In 2009, his wife Renu Singh became MLC from East Champaran as an Independent. Singh joined BJP in 2015 but lost the assembly election that year. In 2020, he won on a VIP ticket. In 2022, he and two other VIP MLAs joined BJP.

Singh holds a BTech degree from Maharashtra completed in 1996, followed by an MTech and a PhD. He declared an annual income of Rs 9 crore in his 2020 election affidavit.

Police records show more than 10 criminal cases against Singh, including Arms Act and murder-related charges. During the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he was accused of distributing money at Vaishali MP Veena Devi’s roadshow, leading to a model code of conduct violation case.

The family runs a pharmaceutical business with operations in Noida, Ahmedabad and other major cities. They also export medicines to Russia and the United States. The family expanded into the Soviet Union during its breakup and economic downturn, building a multi-crore pharma empire. Sentencing in the culpable homicide case is awaited.