Ex-MP Dhananjay Singh case: Court fixes July 13 for recording statements

A sessions court here on Thursday fixed July 13 for recording statements of prosecution witnesses in a case against former parliamentarian Dhananjay Singh, facing trial on charges of destruction of evidence in the torture and murder of his maid.

Dhananjay Singh's wife Jagriti Singh is also facing trial in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal adjourned the hearing after he was informed that special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava will not be able to attend court proceedings as he was busy with a rape case in another court.

The hearing on Thursday was scheduled for examining a maid who was working at the residence of the former MP from Jaunpur constituency of Uttar Pradesh.

Public Prosecutor A.K. Mishra sought adjournment saying that in the interest of justice, key witnesses must be examined in the presence of the special public prosecutor.

Jagriti Singh's counsel B.P. Singh also sought adjournment saying that he needed time to go through the case file since he was hired only recently by his client.

However, Dhananjay Singh's counsel S.P.M. Tripathi apprised the judge that as per the high court order, the examination of two material witnesses - who were also working as maids at Dhananjay Singh's house - must be conducted within two months of the order on framing of charges in the case.

The sessions court had framed the charges against the couple on June 6.

The former parliamentarian is under trial for destruction of evidence as the court has dropped other charges against him.

It has framed charges under Indian Penal Code sections dealing with murder, criminal intimidation etc. against his wife Jagriti.

In the charge sheet, police said Jagriti used to mercilessly beat her three domestic helps and compelled them to work by holding them captive.

Police also claimed the former parliamentarian and his wife might have tampered with the CCTV footage at his house.

Dhananjay Singh is out on bail while Jagriti, a dental surgeon at a government hospital here, is lodged in the Tihar Jail.

Dhananjay Singh was chargesheeted on February 1 last year.