‘Don’t need Singham or Pushpa’: BJP MLA gets 4-year jail in death due to celebratory firing case

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 4, 2026 07:12 PM IST

Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh was convicted under Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC and under Section 30 of the Arms Act (punishment for contravention of licence or rule) on June 6. (Photo: Wikipedia)

A Delhi court on Saturday sentenced Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh to four years in prison in a case of celebratory firing inside his farmhouse in South Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri on New Year’s Eve in 2018. The firing had led to the death of a 45-year-old woman.

“We need neither a Singham nor a Pushpa in a state governed by the rule of law. The brazen act of firing by Raju Kumar Singh was, however, an inspiration to both such aspirations,” said Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Court in his order.

“…the court finds it quite foreseeable that such acts of firing by a MLA embolden others to emulate such conduct in similar or even larger measure. The rank and file of those who seek macho gratification with the imagery of guns being fired would include not only the lawless criminals but also uniform clad protectors of the law,” he added.

Judge Gogne also said that Singh will pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.

Singh was convicted under Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC and under Section 30 of the Arms Act (punishment for contravention of licence or rule) on June 6.

During a New Year’s Eve gathering at his farmhouse at Ambedkar Colony’s Rose Farm, Singh had fired gunshots in the air, which hit a woman named Archana Gupta. She died during treatment at a hospital.

“Such display and use of weapons by a MLA conveys to criminals that a gun is a weapon of choice, flaunting and assertion. Considering that certain states in India are known to harbor illicit production facilities for local firearms, the sight of a MLA acting like a strongman by untrammeled use of firearms, even on social occasions, encourages an ecosystem of illicit firearms,” Judge Gogne said in the order.

Story continues below this ad

“…many an aspiring gang leader or strong man has stepped into politics in our nation on the strength of the gun, earning thereby the notorious sobriquet of Bahubali. In his zeal to be seen as gun wielding politician, the conduct of the convict not only betrays the public trust of his constituents but also encourages a general subscription to his conduct by criminal elements,” he added.

The prosecution had examined 33 witnesses, among whom seven were eyewitnesses. Primarily, three eyewitnesses supported the charge against Singh – Vikas Gupta, the husband of the deceased and the complainant in the case, Vikas’ cousin Puneet Gupta and Puneet’s wife Shikha Gupta.

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.

Professional Background

Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.

Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.

Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.

Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.

Recent notable articles

In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.

1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.

2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.

3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.

Signature Style

Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.

X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

Tags:

Bharatiya Janata Party

Delhi court