Former Member of Parliament (MP) Dhananjay Singh has been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and fined ₹50,000 by a local court in Jaunpur. The verdict comes in connection with a four-year-old case of kidnapping involving a project manager from the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam.
The court’s decision on Tuesday found Dhananjay Singh and his associate, Santosh Vikram, guilty of kidnapping Abhinav Singhal, who was working as a project manager for the ‘Namami Gange’ project, and subsequently extorting him. Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Kumar Tripathi delivered the verdict, holding both Singh and Vikram responsible for the crime.
Singh, who was reportedly planning to contest Lok Sabha polls from his former seat in Jaunpur, has now been sentenced to judicial custody along with his associate Vikram.
The case dates back to May 10, 2020, when Abhinav Singhal, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, filed a complaint against Dhananjay Singh and Santosh Vikram at the Linebazar police station. Singhal accused them of kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy, and other related offenses. District government counsel (criminal) Satish Pandey provided details of the charges brought against the defendants.
According to the complaint, Santosh Vikram, accompanied by two others, allegedly abducted Abhinav Singhal and brought him to Dhananjay Singh’s residence. There, Singh reportedly brandished a pistol, verbally abused Singhal, and coerced him into supplying substandard materials. When Singhal refused, Singh threatened him and demanded money.
Dhananjay Singh was subsequently arrested in connection with the case and later obtained bail from the Allahabad High Court, as confirmed by Satish Pandey, the district government counsel.
Dhananjay Singh, known as a formidable figure in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has had a controversial political career. He served as an MLA from the Rari constituency between 2002 and 2009 as an independent candidate before becoming an MP from 2009 to 2014 under the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) banner. He earned the moniker “Purvanchal Bahubali” for his influence and power in the region.
However, his tenure in politics has been marred by several controversies. In 2011, BSP supremo Mayawati expelled him from the party on allegations of anti-party activities. Despite this setback, Dhananjay Singh continued his political journey and is currently associated with the Janata Dal (United) party.
Expressing his political aspirations, Dhananjay Singh recently hinted at his intention to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Jaunpur constituency through a post on a social media platform.
However, his political career has been overshadowed by his involvement in various criminal cases. Between 1996 and 2013, Dhananjay Singh was charged under the Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act on four occasions. Over the years, he has faced more than three dozen criminal cases, with many still pending in court. Despite the legal challenges, Dhananjay Singh has managed to evade conviction in some cases due to witnesses turning hostile.
The sentencing of Dhananjay Singh highlights the nexus between politics and crime in Indian society. It underscores the need for greater accountability and transparency in the political arena to ensure that individuals with criminal backgrounds are not allowed to hold public office or influence governance.
Moreover, the case serves as a reminder of the importance of a robust and impartial judicial system in upholding the rule of law and delivering justice to victims of crime. The swift and decisive action taken by the court in this instance sends a strong message that criminal behavior will not be tolerated, regardless of the individual’s political stature or affiliations.