Varanasi court acquits MLA, MLC in 24-year-old former MP attack case

A special MP-MLA court on Wednesday acquitted all six accused, including Ayodhya MLA Abhay Singh and MLC Vineet Singh, in a 24-year-old Nadesar shootout case involving former Jaunpur MP Dhananjay Singh.

Dhananjay, his gunner Vasudev Pandey, and driver Dinesh Kumar Gupta were injured in the 2002 attack. Special Judge Yajurvendra Vikram Singh acquitted the accused, citing insufficient evidence and granting them the benefit of doubt. The court also acquitted Sanjay Singh Raghuvanshi, Satyendra alias Bablu Singh, Sandeep Singh alias Pappu, and Vinod Singh.

Abhay Singh was elected MLA in 2022 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He was expelled by the party in 2025 for anti-party activities.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on October 4, 2002, in the Nadesar area. 

Dhananjay, then an MLA, was returning to Jaunpur from Varanasi in a car when the accused intercepted him near Taksal Cinema.

The attackers allegedly opened indiscriminate fire with the intent to kill. 

Dhananjay’s gunner returned fire in self-defence. The assailants reportedly fled the scene after police arrived. 

After Dhananjay lodged a named FIR at the Cantt police station, the police filed the chargesheet against the six individuals on December 14, 2002.