The Delhi High Court has refused to suspend the conviction of Bihar BJP MLA Raju Kumar Singh in a case stemming from the death of a woman during celebratory firing at a New Year party.
Justice Manoj Jain rejected Singh’s plea seeking suspension of his conviction under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code, relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and Section 30 of the Arms Act.
The Court, in its September 29 order, held that the offence involved an element of moral turpitude. It noted that whether an offence falls within that category depends on the circumstances of each case, but observed that the conduct in question was contrary to accepted standards of morality and had a serious impact on society’s conscience.
The Court also took note of Singh’s criminal antecedents, observing that the record showed a number of cases against him.
Case dates back to New Year celebrations
The proceedings relate to an incident at a farmhouse party during the intervening night of December 31, 2018 and January 1, 2019.
According to the case, Singh and his security guard Hari Singh fired weapons during the celebrations. Around five minutes later, another round of firing allegedly took place, with Singh stated to be the only person seen firing at that point.
Archana Gupta was subsequently found unconscious at the venue. She was later declared dead.
A Delhi trial court convicted Singh on June 6, 2026. He received a four-year sentence of simple imprisonment under the IPC provision and an additional two-month sentence under the Arms Act. The court also ordered him to pay ₹25 lakh in compensation to Gupta’s family.
His sentence was subsequently suspended in July.
MLA cited possible disqualification
Singh approached the High Court arguing that his conviction should also be suspended because the four-year sentence attracts the disqualification provisions under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act.
He submitted that he was a sitting MLA from Sahebganj in Bihar and that allowing the conviction to remain operative could result in his disqualification from the Assembly and affect his eligibility to contest future elections.
The opposing side argued that suspension of a conviction is an exceptional measure and could not be granted merely because electoral consequences followed from the conviction.
The High Court ultimately found no “manifest perversity” or obvious error in the trial court’s decision that could justify such an exceptional intervention.
The Court therefore dismissed Singh’s application seeking suspension of his conviction.