Court convicts Bihar BJP MLA in New Year bash firing case

A Delhi court on Saturday convicted Raju Kumar Singh, BJP MLA from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur, in an eight-year-old New Year party firing case that led to the death of a woman, Dr Archana Gupta. Singh was held guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the IPC and under the Arms Act. Special judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue court ordered him to be taken into custody. His wife, Renu Singh and two others, Rana Rajesh Singh and Ramendra Singh, who were accused of destruction of evidence, were acquitted. The court will hear arguments on the sentence on June 9.

The case relates to celebratory firing during a party on Dec 31, 2018, at a farmhouse in Fatehpur Beri in Delhi. Gupta was hit by a bullet in the head and died in the hospital on Jan 3, 2019.

‘Government cannot wash its hands of responsibility’: MLA on deaths

During the period, the state government paid Rs 5.1 crore in compensation. However, the payouts varied sharply across districts, highlighting gaps between reported deaths and cleared claims. Bikaner received Rs 92 lakh in compensation, Churu Rs 72 lakh, Jodhpur Rs 58 lakh and Hanumangarh Rs 48 lakh. Sriganganagar received Rs 18 lakh. Jhalawar, despite reporting 42 deaths, also received only Rs 18 lakh. Deeg reported eight deaths but no compensation, while Kota reported 11 deaths and received Rs 2 lakh.
Officials attributed disparities to claim verification and approval processes. The agriculture department records did not specify the exact cause of each death. The data covered fatalities linked to pesticide use during agricultural work. It included only cases reported and verified by authorities.

“If hundreds of farmers are dying while carrying out routine agricultural work, the government cannot wash its hands of responsibility by merely paying compensation. We need accountability, stricter regulation of pesticides, and a comprehensive safety programme for farmers across Rajasthan,” Kishanpole MLA Amin Kagzi said.

The death count surfaced alongside another set of numbers from the assembly: 189 pesticide samples failed quality tests over the same two-year period. Of 5,570 pesticide samples collected across Rajasthan, 5,521 were analysed. While 5,332 met the prescribed standards, 189 were found substandard.

Authorities issued 282 notices, filed 14 court cases, suspended 14 licences and cancelled 22 licences following quality checks. Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh topped the list of substandard pesticide samples at 17 each, followed by Bikaner (13), Kota (10) and Bhilwara (9). Sriganganagar also recorded the highest number of notices at 34, followed by Bikaner (20), Hanumangarh (19) and Churu (17). Legal action was launched in 14 cases, including five in Bikaner and three in Sriganganagar.

The figures paint a stark picture of pesticide risks in India. Heavy dependence on chemical pesticides has long been a pillar of high-yield farming, but experts have repeatedly warned that inadequate protective gear, unsafe handling practices, excessive spraying and poor-quality agrochemicals can turn fields into toxic workplaces.

Beyond human health risks, pesticide overuse has been linked to soil degradation, water contamination, biodiversity loss and declining populations of pollinators and beneficial insects. State agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena sought to play down the figures, saying data compiled from police stations by the home department would be reviewed.