No Relief for Former MLA and Co-Convict; Review Plea Rejected
New Delhi, May 15 – The Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence handed to criminal-turned-politician Vijay Kumar Shukla, popularly known as Munna Shukla, for the 1998 murder of former RJD minister Brij Bihari Prasad in Patna.A bench comprising former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan dismissed the review petitions filed by Shukla and co-convict Mantu Tiwari, affirming the October 3, 2024 judgment that convicted both individuals.
Apex Court Finds No Grounds for Review
"We do not find any good ground and reason to review the judgment dated October 3, 2024," stated the bench in its May 6 order, which was made public recently. The court also denied a request for an open court hearing on the review petitions.The Supreme Court had partially overturned the Patna High Court’s 2014 acquittal of all accused, directing Shukla, a former MLA, and Tiwari to surrender within 15 days to begin their life imprisonment terms.
In addition to the life term under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, the court imposed a ₹20,000 fine each on the convicts. They were also sentenced to an additional five years in prison and another ₹20,000 fine each under Section 307 (attempt to murder) read with Section 34.
Other Accused Acquitted on Benefit of Doubt
The court, however, upheld the acquittal of five other accused, including former MP Surajbhan Singh, citing benefit of doubt. Two other accused — Bhupendra Nath Dubey and Captain Sunil Singh — died during the pendency of the case.Political Rivalry and CBI Investigation
The murder was allegedly connected to political rivalry. Tiwari, the nephew of Bhupendra Nath Dubey, belonged to a political family that had clashed with that of Prasad’s wife, Rama Devi, a former BJP MP.Devendra Nath Dubey, contesting on a Samajwadi Party ticket against RJD’s Rama Devi in Motihari during the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, was killed a day before the re-poll on February 23, 1998. Brij Bihari Prasad and others were later named as accused in that case.
On June 13, 1998, Prasad and his bodyguard Lakshmeshwar Sahu were gunned down. The murder was allegedly carried out by gangster Sri Prakash Shukla, who was later killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh special task force.
The CBI took over the investigation on March 7, 1999, and named former MP Surajbhan Singh and three others as conspirators. The agency alleged that the conspiracy to kill Prasad was hatched inside Patna’s Beur Jail, where Surajbhan Singh, Munna Shukla, Lallan Singh, and Ram Niranjan Chaudhary were lodged.
