Court grants interim bail to BSP MP Dhananjay Singh

April 15, 2014 04:37 pm | Updated May 26, 2016 04:22 am IST - New Delhi

BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, facing trial for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman between July 2005 and March 2009, was on Tuesday granted interim bail till May 20 by a Delhi court.

Additional Sessions Judge Sarita Birbal granted bail to Mr. Singh on a personal bond of Rs. 50,000 and a surety bond of like amount.

The Supreme Court had on April 9 granted temporary bail to Mr. Singh, who along with his wife Jagriti Singh, is accused of killing their maid, to file his nomination from Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.

The sessions court, in its order, said that the complainant, a railway employee, has not supported the case of the prosecution and she had deposed that Mr. Singh had “neither committed rape nor threatened her.”

It also said that the other prosecution witnesses, who are yet to be examined, were either doctors or police officials and it was not the case of the prosecution that these witnesses may be influenced by the accused.

“In view of above, the accused is admitted to bail in the present case till the next date of hearing i.e. May 20 on furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs. 50,000 with one local surety of like amount...,” it said.

The court also imposed conditions on Mr. Singh, including that he would not leave the country and would not make any attempt to contact any of the prosecution witnesses. During the hearing on the bail plea, the counsel appearing for Mr. Singh had told the court that his client had already been granted bail by the apex court for filing his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

His counsel had also said that even the alleged victim in the rape case has not supported the allegations levelled against Mr. Singh, a sitting MP from Jaunpur, in the case.

According to sources, the 42-year-old woman’s testimony during an in-camera proceeding was contrary to her earlier statements given before the police and a magistrate in which she had said she was repeatedly raped by Mr. Singh for nearly four years.

Referring to the complaint filed by the woman, the police had alleged that she was raped several times by Mr. Singh at gunpoint and was threatened with dire consequences if she reported the matter.

The woman, during her deposition before the court, had said that she had lodged the complaint against Mr. Singh as he used to interfere in her matrimonial life and her husband had sent her divorce papers in 2009 due to which she was disturbed, according to sources.

Mr. Singh has been accused of rape, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation under IPC.

In its charge sheet, the police has listed 13 persons, including three doctors, as prosecution witnesses.

The complaint was filed against him by the woman after the MP and his wife Jagriti Singh, a dental surgeon at a government hospital here, were arrested last November in connection with their maid’s murder in which charge sheet was filed by the police.

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