Former legislator Ashok Vir Vikram Singh alias Bhaiya Raja was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of murdering his grandniece, Vasundhara Bundela. The victim was daughter of Raja Bhaiya's nephew, Mrigendra Singh.
Bhaiya Raja's wife, Asha Rani Singh, is currently a legislator from Bijawar (Chhatarpur) on BJP ticket. Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjeev Kalgaonkar held Bhaiya Raja (64) guilty and awarded him life term.
Others who have been found guilty are Bhupendra Singh alias Halke, Pankaj Shukla, Abhimanyu Pathak and Ramkishan, who had planned and committed the murder. Another accused, Rohini Shukla alias Rampi was acquitted.
The body of 20-year-old Vasundhara, a student of fashion designing, was recovered from near the railway tracks in Misrod area on December 11, 2009.The post mortem examination report had stated that the victim was shot dead somewhere else and her body dumped at the spot.
During investigation, it was found that Vasundhara had been sexually exploited by Bhaiya Raja in Bhopal and that he had made her undergo abortion. Vasundhara had confided this to her mother. After investigation, the police had arrested Bhaiya Raja (64), Bhupendra Singh alias Halke, Pankaj Shukla, Abhimanyu Pathak and Rohini Shukla alias Rampi.
The counsel for Mrigendra Singh, PK Srivastava told media persons that "Vasundhara had told Bhaiya Raja that she would expose him for his immoral act. When he failed to dissuade her from her plan, he decided to kill her. Bhaiya Raja's driver Bhupendra alias Halke, Rohini Shukla alias Rampi and other accomplices instead of dropping her to the hostel, took her to Misrod where Halke shot her."
Shrivastava said the police recovered Vasundhara's ear stud apart from bloodstains in the SUV owned by Pankaj Shukla. later, the country-made pistol was recovered from Bhaiya Raja's ancestral palace, Garhi, in Gaharwar town in Chhatarpur.
A dozen criminal cases had been registered against Bhaiya Raja in Chhatarpur in the past. However, because of his influence in the region, people did not dare to depose against him. He had won election on Samajwadi Party ticket in the past.