Former MP Dhananjay, aide jailed for seven years in kidnapping case

Former lawmaker Dhananjay Singh and aide sentenced to 7-year imprisonment for kidnapping a state official in Uttar Pradesh. Singh now ineligible to contest elections.

Lucknow: A local court in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday sentenced former lawmaker Dhananjay Singh and one of his aides to seven-year rigorous imprisonment in a 2020 case of kidnapping of state Jal Nigam official Abhinav Singhal, who was posted as Namami Gange project manager.

Former MP Dhananjay Singh and one of his aides sentenced to seven-year imprisonment in 2020 case of kidnapping. (File Photo)

The sentencing — unless overturned by a higher court — makes Singh, who is described as “Purvanchal Bahubali” (muscleman of eastern UP), ineligible under the Representation of the People Act to contest election. Singh, who is presently with the Janata Dal (United), was reportedly planning to contest the 2024 general elections from Jaunpur seat, which he had previously represented from 2009 to 2014.

Additional sessions judge-IV Sharad Kumar Tripathi also slapped a fine of ₹1.5 lakh each on Singh and his aide Santosh Vikram, with a provision of additional four months in jail if they failed to pay the penalty, district government counsel (criminal) Satish Pandey said.

“The MP/MLA court of additional district judge-IV Sharad Kumar Tripathi awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment to Dhananjay and Santosh Vikram after finding them guilty in the case,” Pandey said.

On Tuesday, the court had reserved the sentencing after finding the two guilty under sections 364 (kidnapping), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court ordered seven-year jail term with ₹50,000 fine for kidnapping, five-year jail and ₹25,000 fine for extortion, one-year jail and ₹10,000 fine under section 504, two-year jail with ₹15,000 fine for criminal intimidation and seven-year rigorous imprisonment and ₹50,000 fine for criminal conspiracy, Pandey said. “All sentences will run concurrently, which will last as long as seven years,” he added.

Muzaffarnagar resident Singhal had filed a case against Singh and his associate Vikram on May 10, 2020, at Line Bazar police station. According to the first information report (FIR), Vikram, along with two associates, kidnapped Singhal and took him to the residence of Singh where the former MP came with a pistol and abused him and pressured him to supply low quality material. On refusal, he threatened Singhal and demanded extortion, it was alleged.

The former MP was arrested in this case and later got bail from the Allahabad high court, Pandey said.

Singh had served as the member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014 as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member, representing Jaunpur seat. He was, however, expelled from the BSP over “anti-party activities” in 2011.

Singh made his electoral debut in 2002, winning the Rari assembly seat, later renamed as Malhani, in Jaunpur district as an independent candidate. He won the seat again in 2007 on a JD(U) ticket, but quit it after becoming an MP two years later.