Ex-MLA Raju Singh, accused of killing woman on New Year's Day, admits being drunk; wife, aide sent to 2-week judicial custody

New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday sent the wife of former JDU MLA Raju Singh to two-week judicial custody in connection with the death of a woman in celebratory firing during the New Year Eve party at the legislator’s farmhouse. Metropolitan Magistrate Saloni Singh sent the politician’s wife Renu Singh and Raminder Singh, who worked for the leader, to 14-day custody for allegedly destroying the evidence. Archana Gupta, who was hit by bullets allegedly fired by Raju Singh, succumbed to the injuries on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_5838741” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Raju Singh. News18[/caption] Both Renu and Raminder were arrested Thursday. Renu has moved a bail application which will be heard Saturday. A Delhi court on Thursday sent Raju, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Assembly election in Bihar on BJP ticket, to seven-day police custody along with his driver Hari Singh, a co-accused after the prosecution said their sustained interrogation was required in the case. He was arrested on Wednesday from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Renu is a former member of the Bihar legislative council. According to the police, she ensured that the blood stains are cleaned and the rounds are hidden. Raminder, apart from cleaning the floor, also hid the bullets used, besides trying to threaten the witnesses, the police said. The police have added IPC Section 302, which pertains to punishment for murder, and punishable with a maximum term of life imprisonment or death sentence, to the FIR. Raju Singh admits to being under influence of alcohol Meanwhile, Raju, who was questioned for close to 10 hours on Friday has confessed to being under the influence of liquor during the celebratory-firing incident, sources said. Sources said Raju was initially not cooperating and was claiming that he did not fire any bullets during the New Year’s Eve party at his farmhouse in south Delhi, but later admitted that he had fired shots from a rifle and pistol. Raju told police that he was drunk and, around midnight when the countdown began, he first fired from a pistol, then a rifle and the pistol again, the bullet of which hit 42-year-old architect Archana in the head. Police said the bloodstained clothes of the accused’s driver, Hari Singh, are yet to be recovered. The former lawmaker told police that the clothes were dumped somewhere in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, the place from where he was detained along with his driver and later arrested. He will be taken to Kushinagar in a day or two to find where he had dumped the clothes and search some of the empty cartridges that he had taken while fleeing from the farmhouse, sources said. Raju Singh had plans to flee to his village in Bihar, but was nabbed before he could do so, the sources added. Gupta, an architect, and a resident of Gautam Nagar in Hauz Khas, had gone to the party along with her husband and daughter. They were invited to the farmhouse in Mandi Gaon by the ex-MLA’s brother Sanjeev Singh. The Guptas were known to Sanjeev Singh for over 25 years. The party was attended by around 30 families including women and children. In total, 50-60 people were at the party, police said. The police were informed about the incident by the hospital authorities at 1.05 am by Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj. Around 12, when the countdown began for the new year, the firing took place, police said, adding that five-six rounds were shot. “Out of this, one bullet hit the victim. Gupta’s husband noticed her falling down, when he got to know about the injury in the head near the right ear, she was rushed to hospital by her husband and his cousin,” the police said. During the enquiry, it was found that Raju and his driver had opened fire, the police said. Police had earlier seized two rifles and 800 bullets from Raju’s farmhouse in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. In his complaint to the police, Archana’s husband had said that they were at the farmhouse on Monday night to celebrate the New Year along with friends and around midnight, two-three rounds were fired by Raju Singh. Immediately, he noticed that his wife had fallen down and was bleeding. Raju Singh was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, police said, adding that he has five other cases registered against him. The farmhouse is owned by Raju Singh’s mother where he lives with his family. His two brothers also live with their families in the farmhouse, police added.