Sanjay Singh

Bhagalpur/Patna, Oct. 5: A former Bihar minister died outside a court soon after he was convicted in a murder case this afternoon.

Former minister Sanjay Singh’s counsel alleged that his plea for appearance exemption was ignored on the ground that such excuses were a ruse often used by politicians to avoid the courtroom.

The 47-year-old Singh, the son of a veteran Congress leader, was one of eight held guilty in the 2001 murder of then RJD district president of Sheikhpura, Kashi Nath Pahalwan.

The quantum of sentence was to have been pronounced on Thursday.

Singh’s wife Sunila Devi is the sitting MLA from Sheikhpura, a southeast Bihar district about 130km from Patna, and has been renominated from the seat.

Singh complained of severe pain in the chest around 4pm, half-an-hour after the verdict was pronounced by the Munger special court of additional district and sessions judge (III) Suresh Chandra Srivastava. He was immediately rushed to hospital where doctors declared him “brought dead”.

Eyewitnesses said Singh complained of chest pain as soon as he was brought out of the courtroom and legal formalities were being completed to send the convicts to the Munger district jail.

Singh’s supporters alleged that the judge did not adhere to the request of his counsel to ensure proper medical care for his client.