Former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh arrested for kidnapping

VARANASI: Criminal-turned-politician and former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh was arrested from his residence in Jaunpur along with his close aide by Line Bazar police on Monday on charges of kidnapping and threatening a UP Jal Nigam project manager handling the over Rs 300 crore sewage treatment plant project.
ADG, Varanasi zone, Brij Bhushan, said, “Jal Nigam project manager Abhinav Singhal lodged a complaint at Line Bazar police station on Sunday late night. He said he was being repeatedly threatened by Dhananjay’s goons and was kidnapped at gun point on Sunday and taken to his residence where he was threatened.”
Police also seized his luxury SUV, which was allegedly used to kidnap the project manager.
Booked under Gangster Act 4 times in past
A case was registered against Dhananjay and his aide under sections 364 (kidnapping), 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC. SP Jaunpur Ashok Kumar formed a team that arrested Dhananjay and his accomplice Vikram Singh from his Shastri Nagar residence at 2am,” he added.
Both were produced before the court of remand magistrate on Monday morning and sent to district jail in 14-day judicial custody.
The complainant said Dhananjay wanted to grab contract for material supply in construction of sewage treatment plant in Jaunpur and his aide Vikram Singh had been calling him since May 4 and telling him to meet Singh at his house.In his complaint, Singhal alleged that Dhananjay was forcing him and Jal Nigam officials to take sand from him despite rejection due to poor quality in past.He alleged that on Sunday, Vikram and two others forced the project manager into an SUV and took him to the former MP’s house where he was held captive for over an hour and threatened at gun-point.
SP Jaunpur Ashok Kumar said, “The project manager alleged that Dhananjay also threatened the managing director on phone. The former MP also told a UPJN official to approve quality of his sand. Further investigation in the case is on.”
Police officials said Dhananjay had been booked under Gangster Act four times between 1996 and 2013 and 37 criminal cases are already lodged against him.Dhananjay alleged that he has been framed in the case under conspiracy by a ruling party MLA.Dhananjay had won 2002 assembly elections as an independent candidate from Rari seat in Jaunpur and had retained it in 2007 as JD(U) candidate.
In 2009 he joined BSP and won parliamentary election from Jaunpur but was expelled from the party before 2012 assembly poll.