The Delhi Police on Wednesday detained former Janta Dal (United) MLA Raju Singh and his driver cum bodyguard Hari Singh from Kushi Nagar in Uttar Pradesh for firing a gun in the air during a New Year Eve’s party on Sunday which left a woman guest critically injured. Police said that they have also recovered a pistol from his possession.
Former Bihar MLA had injured a woman identified as Archana Gupta, an architect, after he allegedly fired a bullet during celebrations at his farm house on Sunday around 8:45 pm in Vasant Kunj area of South Delhi.
“They will reach Delhi by Thursday morning. The woman is still undergoing treatment in Fortis hospital. She was hit with a bullet in her head,” said the senior police official
“Vikas Gupta, husband of the victim told police that they were at Singh’s farmhouse, Rose Farms, in Mandi village in Fatehpur Beri for a party. He was once Singh’s partner in a now defunct pharmaceutical company.
Gupta now own a realty business in Gautam Nagar and had retained their contact with Singh,” said the senior police official
“On the New Year eve as the party progressed towards the countdown to 2019, Raju dancing in an inebriated state procured a rifle and started firing in the air.
After a couple of shots, Archana suddenly collapsed and her husband called for help and took his wife to hospital,” said the senior police official adding that they were informed by hospital regarding the incident,” said the senior police official
“At the farm house where incident occurred had been cleaned and the used cartridges removed from the spot before the police had reached.
The households in the house in their statement to police have claimed that the former MLA was not in city on that day,” said a senior police official. “A case of attempt to murder and destruction of evidence has been registered. The statements of eyewitnesses, including Vikas, were recorded,” said the senior police official.
Rose Farms is apparently owned by Singh’s mother, though the former MLA stays there with his family and his two siblings. Police are reported to have found two rifles and 800 rounds of ammunition in the house. Singh had contested elections from Sahebganj in Bihar.