Prabhunath Singh, ex-RJD MP, sentenced to life imprisonment in Ashok Singh murder case

Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Prabhunath Singh was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment, a week after he was found guilty by a court in Hazaribagh in connection with the 1995 murder of MLA Ashok Singh.

Patna: Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Prabhunath Singh was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment, a week after he was found guilty by a court in Hazaribagh in connection with the 1995 murder of Masrakh MLA Ashok Singh.

The verdict was pronounced by Additional district judge Surendra Sharma, who also awarded life imprisonment to Prabhunath Singh's brother Dinanath Singh and other accused and ex-village chief Ritesh Singh for possessing and using explosives in the legislator's murder.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on them.

The quantum of punishment was pronounced by the Hazaribagh court via video conferencing.

Prabhunath 's brother, has decided to challenge the lower court verdict in the High Court.

Prabhunath Singh and others were convicted by the Hazaribagh court last week following which they were arrested and lodged in the Hazaribagh Central Jail.

The case is related to the murder of Masrakh constituency MLA Ashok Singh, who was shot dead in broad daylight at his residence in 1995.

In 1997, the Patna High Court had transferred the case from Patna to Hazaribagh.

Prabhunath Singh is former MP and MLA from Maharajganj and Masrakh.

Ashok Singh had defeated Prabhunath Singh in the assembly poll in 1995. Prabhunath Singh had then famously said that Ashok Singh would be eliminated within 90 days of the election.

With ANI inputs