Former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh was on Friday ordered to be put on trial by a Delhi court on the charge of destruction of evidence in the maid murder case.
Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal also ordered framing of charges against Dhananjay’s wife Jagriti under various sections of the IPC, including 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means).
The court discharged Dhananjay for the alleged offences under various provisions of the IPC, including 202 (intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform), 109 (punishment of abetment of offence) read with 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 307 (attempt to murder).
The court fixed the matter for tomorrow for formal framing of charges against both the accused.
It ordered framing of charges against Jagriti for the offences of murder and under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 344 (wrongfully confining for 10 or more days), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour), 201 (destruction of evidence)/ 202, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal intimidation of the IPC.
Jagriti, however, was discharged for the alleged offence of attempt to murder and under sections 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 377 (unnatural offences) and 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) of IPC.
The court ordered framing of charges against Dhananjay for the offence of destruction of evidence only.
Apart from other provisions, he was also discharged of the alleged offences of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, buying or disposing of any person as a slave and unlawful compulsory labour.
The couple was arrested on November 5, 2013 in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal.
Dhananjay, represented through advocate S P M Tripathi, was then an MP from Jaunpur constituency of UP while Jagriti was a dental surgeon at a government hospital here.
Dhananjay is out on bail while Jagriti, represented through advocate PK Dubey, is in judicial custody.
