Basanti Devi spent all of Tuesday morning praying for justice for her murdered son.

Her prayers were answered when a Hazaribagh court sentenced former MP Prabhunath Singh and two others to life imprisonment around 12 noon on Tuesday for the murder of her then 28-year-old son and Janata Dal Masrakh MLA Ashok Singh at his official residence in Patna on July 3, 1995.

"I have been praying to God since morning to punish the murderer of my young son, who was only 28 years old," Basanti, who is in her seventies, said at her Patna home. "I still have fresh memories of the incident. I find no words to express my sufferings."

While Basanti was praying in Patna, Chandni Devi - her daughter-in-law and Ashok's widow - was in Hazaribagh to see for herself her husband's killer being punished.

"I would have been more satisfied had the court awarded them capital punishment," Chandni said. "I am in contact with my legal counsel and may go in appeal in the high court requesting it to award harsher punishment."

Chandni, now in her 40s, had reached the Jharkhand town a day earlier to be present in the courtroom at the time of the final verdict. At 11.40am, the court awarded Prabhunath, his brother Dinanath Singh and their nephew, former mukhiya Ritesh Singh, to life in prison and a fine of Rs 40,000 each.

The session was conducted through videoconference between the jail where Prabhunath is lodged and the courtroom where the prosecution and defence lawyers presented their final arguments.

Prabhunath, four-time MP from Maharajganj, had pleaded before the court to remain in jail during the hearing, claiming his life could be in danger if he went to the court.

"I have been waiting for the past 22 years to get the killers of my husband punished," Chandni said. "But later I came to know that the quantum of punishment would be pronounced through videoconferencing.

"Being a widow is itself a curse," she said, "but I didn't lose my patience and fought against the odds with perseverance. No help came from anywhere. But I had full faith in the Almighty as well as the judiciary that they would punish the offenders.

"Prabhunath Singh, who was defeated by my husband in the 1995 Assembly elections, had threatened to eliminate him within 90 days," she added. "He (Prabhunath) also announced that fresh elections will be held on the seat. His threats proved right when Ashok was killed at his residence in Patna's VIP locality on July 3, 1995."

Chandni was the one who filed the FIR in the murder, and claimed Prabhunath "initially tried to lure me to reach a compromise by offering Rs 50 lakh but I turned down the offer".

"When I didn't budge he threatened me and my minor sons to meet the same fate as Ashok. ' Pati ke yahan pahuncha denge' he said," Chandni said.

"A day came when the long arm of the law caught him and he has been sentenced to life imprisonment. I hope the higher court will also do justice to me and my children who lost their father as kids," Chandni said, her voice choking.

Ashok's elder brother Tarkeshwar Singh, a former MLA who was present in court with Chandni, was also emotional.

"I will salute the court (Hazaribagh court) whenever I pass through the district headquarters town of Jharkhand," he said.

"It's the court which has finally delivered justice to the family."

Tarkeshwar, who grew up in the same area of Saran district as Prabhunath, described the former MP as someone with a criminal bent of mind since childhood.

The life term was expected, he said, adding: "Phansi ki sazaa hoti to dil ko tasalli milti (If he were awarded capital punishment, we would have been happier)."