A court in Jaunpur has found former MP Dhananjay Singh and his associate Santosh Vikram Singh guilty in a nearly four-year-old kidnapping case involving Namami Gange project manager Abhinav Singhal. The court has scheduled the pronouncement of the quantum of punishment for Wednesday (March 6).
Verdict announcement pending
District government counsel (criminal) Satish Pandey confirmed that the MP/MLA court, presided over by additional district judge-IV Sarad Kumar Tripathi, delivered the verdict, convicting Dhananjay and Santosh Vikram in the case.
Background of the case
The case dates back to May 10, 2020, when Abhinav Singhal, working as the Namami Gange project manager in Jaunpur, filed a complaint against Dhananjay Singh and his accomplice, alleging kidnapping. Singhal accused Santosh Vikram and two others of abducting him and taking him to the former MP's residence.
Allegations and legal action
At Dhananjay Singh's residence, Singhal claimed he was threatened and pressured to supply substandard material for the project. When he refused, he alleged Dhananjay abused him and demanded extortion.
Legal proceedings
Following Singhal's complaint, the police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Dhananjay Singh and his accomplice. Both were subsequently arrested and later released on bail, according to the district government counsel (criminal).
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