The Supreme Court has upheld the life imprisonment of former Bihar MLA and criminal-turned-politician Vijay Kumar Shukla, popularly known as Munna Shukla, in the high-profile 1998 murder case of former RJD minister Brij Bihari Prasad in Patna.
A bench comprising former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan rejected the review pleas filed by Shukla and co-convict Mantu Tiwari against their conviction. The apex court, in its May 6 order (uploaded recently), stated, “We do not find any good ground and reason to review the judgment dated October 3, 2024,” while dismissing the plea for an open court hearing on the review petitions.
The court had, on October 3, 2024, convicted both Shukla and Tiwari, partially overturning the 2014 Patna High Court verdict that had acquitted all accused. The Supreme Court directed Shukla and Tiwari to surrender within 15 days to serve their life sentences.
Additionally, they were fined Rs 20,000 each under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced to an extra five years of imprisonment along with another Rs 20,000 fine under Section 307 (attempt to murder) read with Section 34 IPC.
The apex court, however, upheld the acquittal of five other accused, including former MP Surajbhan Singh, citing benefit of doubt.
Brij Bihari Prasad, a powerful OBC leader and husband of former BJP MP Rama Devi, was shot dead on June 13, 1998, by gangster Sri Prakash Shukla, who was later killed in an encounter by a special task force of Uttar Pradesh Police.
The top court observed, “The charge under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC against Mantu Tiwari and Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla for the murders of Brij Bihari Prasad and his bodyguard Lakshmeshwar Sahu is proven and established beyond reasonable doubt.” The attempt to murder charge was also found to be conclusively proven.
The case had a long and complex history, including the killing of Devendra Nath Dubey, a Samajwadi Party candidate and political rival of Rama Devi, a day before a re-poll for the Motihari Lok Sabha seat in February 1998. Prasad and others were initially named as accused in that case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the murder probe on March 7, 1999. The agency alleged that the conspiracy was hatched in Beur Jail, Patna, involving Surajbhan Singh, Munna Shukla, Lallan Singh, and Ram Niranjan Chaudhary.
Two other accused, Bhupendra Nath Dubey (uncle of Tiwari) and Captain Sunil Singh, died during the pendency of proceedings. The Patna High Court had acquitted all the accused on July 24, 2014, reversing the August 12, 2009 trial court judgment that had sentenced them to life.
The Supreme Court’s decision now brings finality to one of Bihar’s most sensational political murder cases.
