Supreme Court to Decide on Patna High Court’s Acquittal of Surajbhan Singh in 1998 Murder Case
The Supreme Court is set to announce its judgment on Thursday regarding appeals challenging the Patna High Court’s decision to acquit former MP Surajbhan Singh and eight others in a murder case. The case involves the 1998 murder of former Bihar Minister Brij Bihari Prasad.
Judges Involved
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Kumar, and R Mahadevan will deliver the verdict.
Background
On August 22, the Supreme Court reserved its order on the appeals filed by the late minister’s wife, Rama Devi, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They challenged the Patna High Court’s 2014 decision to acquit the accused due to lack of evidence.
Accused and Acquittal
Seven accused, including former MP Surajbhan Singh, former legislators Vijay alias Munna Shukla, and Rajan Tiwari, were acquitted by the Patna High Court. The trial court had sentenced the eight accused to life imprisonment in 2009.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes the final decisions on important legal matters.
Patna High Court -: The Patna High Court is a high court in the state of Bihar. It deals with legal cases in that region.
Acquittal -: Acquittal means that someone was found not guilty of a crime in a court of law.
Surajbhan Singh -: Surajbhan Singh is a former Member of Parliament (MP) in India. He was accused in a murder case.
1998 Murder Case -: This refers to a crime that happened in 1998, where a former Bihar Minister named Brij Bihari Prasad was killed.
Justices -: Justices are judges in the Supreme Court who make important legal decisions.
Appeals -: Appeals are requests made to a higher court to change the decision of a lower court.
Rama Devi -: Rama Devi is the wife of the late minister Brij Bihari Prasad. She filed an appeal against the acquittal.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation. It is India’s top agency for investigating serious crimes.
2014 Acquittal -: In 2014, the Patna High Court found Surajbhan Singh and others not guilty due to lack of evidence.
Life Imprisonment -: Life imprisonment means being sent to jail for the rest of one’s life.