Ramadhir Singh - uncle of Jharia MLA Sanjeev Singh, erstwhile chairman of Balia district board in UP and husband of former Dhanbad mayor Indu Singh - surrendered in court on Monday in connection with the headline-grabbing 1998 murder of a trade union leader and his driver.

The influential son of Dhanbad's Singh Mansion had been pronounced guilty by the court of additional district judge VII Sanjay Kumar on April 9, 2015, for killing Vinod Singh and Mannu Ansari, and sentenced for life on April 18 the same year. Ramadhir, however, had remained elusive until now despite police raids in Dhanbad and his ancestral Balia home.

Around 11.30am on Monday, the convicted 68-year-old man reached court with his lawyer and was later forwarded to Dhanbad Divisional Jail.

Speaking to reporters outside court, MLA nephew Sanjeev, who came with an army of supporters, said the family had immense faith in the judicial system. "We are confident that we will get justice," he said.

Vinod Singh, a leader of Bihar Janta Khan Mazdoor Sangh, was shot dead along with his driver Mannu near Bhagat Singh Chowk in Katras on July 15 morning in 1998 while they were coming from Dhanbad, 20km away. The assailants were in another car.

Police had recovered 36 bullet shells from the spot while the Ambassador Vinod was travelling in was riddled with over 30 bullet holes.

The victim's younger brother, Dun Bahadur Singh, had lodged a case against Ramadhir, his elder brother Bachcha Singh (76) and their nephew Rajeev Ranjan Singh (30).

Others accused in the case were driver of the killer car Anil Yadav and shooters Sher Bahadur Singh and Rajiv Ranjan. While Ranjan is dead now, Sher Bahadur and Anil are missing.

In all, 19 witnesses were examined during 16 years of trial that moved to Jharkhand High Court and Supreme Court before being referred back to Dhanbad for a final hearing. Bachcha was acquitted by court in the Vinod Singh case on April 9, 2015.

The Singh Mansion sons have been embroiled in many a murder and exonerated in most cases.

Six months after the killing of the trade union leader, his elder brother Sakaldeo Singh was murdered on January 25, 1999, near Hirak Road. Ramadhir and Bachcha - younger siblings of former Jharia MLA the late Suryadeo Singh - were named accused once again, but acquitted.

They were again accused of killing coal trader Pramod Singh in October 2003, but let off the hook.

Ramadhir, his son Sashi Singh and nephew Sanjeev Singh (now Jharia MLA) were also named accused in the December 7, 2011, murder of former district treasurer of Congress and coal trader Suresh Singh. Sashi, the prime accused, is absconding.