Dhananjay Singh Case: Former MP Gets 7 Years In Jail For Kidnapping, Demanding Extortion

A local court in Jaunpur held former MP Dhananjay Singh and his associate of kidnapping ‘Namami Gange’ project manager Abhinav Singhal, demanding extortion, abusing and threatening him. The former MP has been 7 years in jail and Rs 50,000 fine by the Jaunpur court on Wednesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Kumar Tripathi, after hearing both the sides, held Dhananjay Singh and his associate Santosh Vikram guilty in the matter, a report in PTI said. Both Singh and his associate were sent to judicial custody on Tuesday.

As per reports, Dhananjay Singh was planning to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Jaunpur.

Giving details of the case, District Government Counsel (Criminal) Satish Pandey said that Muzaffarnagar resident Abhinav Singhal had filed a case against Dhananjay Singh and his partner Vikram on May 10, 2020, at Linebazar police station under sections of kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy and others.

It was alleged that Santosh Vikram, along with two associates, kidnapped Singhal and took him to the residence of the former MP where Dhananjay Singh came with a pistol and abused him and pressurised him to supply low quality material.

Upon refusal, he threatened and demanded extortion, the report said.

The former MP was arrested in this case and later got bail from the Allahabad High Court, Satish Pandey said.

Dhananjay Singh, who served as the Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014 as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member, is described as ‘Purvanchal Bahubali’. In the late 1990s, he was a ‘most wanted’ criminal, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000. 

In 2011, BSP president Mayawati had expelled Dhananjay from the party on charges of anti-party activities.

Presently with the Janata Dal (United), Dhananjay Singh had recently through a post on ‘X’ indicated his plans of contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections from Jaunpur seat.

He had won the election for the first time in 2002 from the Rari Assembly seat as an independent candidate.