Murder case against ex-MLA & others: court reserves judgement

A Delhi court today reserved its judgement for January 8 next year in a murder case of 2003 in which former Uttar Pradesh MLA Udai Bhan Singh and five others are facing trial.
Special CBI Judge V K Gupta today concluded the hearing in the case and reserved the judgement.
"Put up on January 8, 2014 for judgement," the judge said.
The court had earlier framed charges against the accused under various provisions of the IPC dealing with criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and intimidation.
According to the prosecution, the five had allegedly conspired and hired two criminals for killing Rakesh Pandey, an eye-witness in a triple murder case, on the morning of February 17, 2003 at Gopiganj police station at Sant Ravidas Nagar district near Varanasi.

The victim, who had refused to accept Rs five lakh for not deposing in the triple murder case, was threatened and later shot dead allegedly at the behest of the accused MLA, the prosecution had said, adding, two others had also received bullet injuries during the incident.

Initially, the then MLA and nine others were arraigned as accused. However, three accused, Santosh Kumar Singh, Vinod Kumar Singh and Bashir Khan, died during the pendency of trial and another accused, Kallu, was declared as a proclaimed offender.
Besides the former MLA, the other accused facing trial in the case are Sandeep Singh, Ashok Mishra, Raj Nath Mishra, Mabud Khan and Vishal Singh.

The case was transferred to the national capital from UP by the Supreme Court on March 28, 2008, on the ground that a fair trial was not possible in the state against the accused leader.