Uttar Pradesh: BJP MP, 2 others acquitted in 29-yr-old case of rioting, murder bid on rival

LUCKNOW: An MP-MLA court in Gonda acquitted BJP MP from Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and two others in a murderous assault on former SP cabinet minister Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh in 1993.
Two others acquitted are Gyan Singh and Pahalwan Singh. Another accused Devdutt Singh had died during the trial. Pandit Singh died of Covid-related complications in May 2021.
The order was passed by additional sessions judge, MP-MLA court in Gonda, Jitendra Gupta on Monday.
Additional district government counsel Vinod Kumar Singh told TOI that the murderous assault on Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh had taken place on December 24, 1993, under Nawabganj police station of Gonda district.
He said that the victim’s brother, Yogendra Singh, had lodged an FIR under the charges of attempt to murder and rioting against Brij Bhushan Sharan, Gyan Singh of Deoria and Deep Narayan Yadav of Gorakhpur. Police had also filed a charge sheet in the case and sent it to the court for a trial.
Singh said that during filing the charge sheet, the police did not collect evidence properly.
“In the absence of sufficient evidence, the court acquitted all the accused by giving them the benefit of doubt,” said Singh. Soon after the verdict, a crowd of supporters of the BJP MP gathered outside the court premises and raised slogans in praise of the law.
“I have firm faith in the legal system and was initially not named by the kin of Pandit Singh’s family at the time of attack in 1993. But the ruling party, out of political vendetta, dragged me into this and got my name in the FIR,” said BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh while talking to journalists after the verdict.
The shooting dates to 1993, which marked a turning point in the life of both politicians, Pandit Singh and Brij Bhushan, who used to be friends until then. Bhushan initially was with the BJP winning his first Lok Sabha election in 1991. In 2008, he had a brief stint with the Samajwadi Party before again shifting to BJP ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, Pandit Singh remained a Samajwadi Party leader throughout his political life and was a three-time legislator, holding the post of a cabinet minister as well.