Celebratory firing: Ex-JDU MLA detained, injured woman on life support

The Delhi Police detained former JDU legislator Raju Singh from Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday for allegedly firing a gun in the air during a New Year's Eve party in Delhi, which left a woman critically injured, officials said.

The former Bihar MLA and his driver-cum-bodyguard, Hari Singh, was detained in Gorakhpur city. The accused had fled in a car with the driver. The two will be brought to Delhi by Thursday morning, said R P Upadhyay, special commissioner of police, law and order (south).

A pistol was also recovered from the possession of the former Janata Dal (United) lawmaker. Police had earlier seized two rifles and 800 bullets from Raju Singh's farmhouse in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj, police said.

In his complaint to the police, the woman's husband had said they were at the farm house on Monday night to celebrate the New Year along with friends. Around midnight, two-three rounds were fired by Raju Singh. Immediately, he noticed that his wife -- Archana Gupta, an architect -- had fallen down and was bleeding.

The Fortis Hospital, in a statement on Wednesday, said, "The patient was brought to (the) emergency ward at 00:18 am on January 1 by her attendant in an extremely critical condition." The woman continues to be in a critical state and is currently on life support, it added.

The Delhi Police was informed and a medicolegal case was registered, a hospital spokesperson said.

Raju Singh was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. The accused has five other cases registered against him. His wife is a former member of the legislative council from Bihar, police said.

The farm house is owned by Singh's mother where he lives with his family. Singh's two brothers also live with their families in the farm house, the police added.