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Ex-Bihar minister dies in courtroom
Former Bihar minister Sanjay Singh of the Congress died on Tuesday in a Munger court barely an hour after he and six others were convicted in the 2001 Sheikhpura massacre case.
Former Bihar minister Sanjay Singh of the Congress died on Tuesday in a Munger court barely an hour after he and six others were convicted in the 2001 Sheikhpura massacre case.
Additional District Judge Suresh Chandra Srivastava, to announce the quantum of punishment on Thursday, convicted Singh and others for the massacre that resulted in the death of nine Rashtriya Janata Dal workers.
Soon after his conviction, Singh complained of chest pain and the judge sent him to jail for treatment. The jail doctor ordered that Singh be taken immediately to a hospital. But he died even before reaching the hospital.
Singh’s lawyers lodged a first information report against the judge, accusing him of not paying any heed to their repeated requests to send Singh to a hospital when his condition deteriorated inside the courtroom.
On December 26, 2001, the RJD workers, including district president Kashi Yadav, were gunned down in Sheikhpura, about 50 km from here. They were returning after seeing off then jail minister Ashok Choudhary.
Sanjay Singh’s father, Rajo Singh, who represented Begusarai in the Lok Sabha, was also an accused in the case. He was gunned down on September 10, 2005, after the announcement of the last assembly elections.
Director General of Police Neelmani said the police chiefs of the three adjacent districts of Munger, Lakhisarai and Sheikhpura had been alerted to keep watch on the situation.
But as the news spread, Singh’s supporters ransacked the courtrooms and burnt copies of the court order. They also torched a truck and attacked stranded vehicles.
