CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
NEW DELHI,7th April, 2004
TWO NAXALITES GIVEN LIFE SENTENCE IN SANJAY KUMAR SINGH MURDER CASE:
The Distt. and Sessions Court in Sasaram, Bihar sentenced to life imprisonment two naxalites, Vinod Rajwar and Roopdev Yadav under various sections of IPC and POTA in the Indian Forest Service officer, Sanjay Kumar Singh murder case. It was the first case of the CBI where POTA was invoked and also one of the case where trial was concluded and judgment pronounced quickly.
Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, IFS, DFO, Shahabad Division with Head Quarters at Sasaram, Bihar, was murdered on 15.2.2002 by a group of 25-30 unknown naxalites in village Rehal of PS Nauhata, Distt. Rohtas, Bihar, while he was on a routine inspection. On the request of the Govt. of Bihar, the Central Government entrusted investigation of this case to the CBI which took up the investigation of the case on 22.3.2002. A special team of CBI officers under a DIG investigated this case in the remote areas of Rohtas District and examined more than 150 witnesses and collected a number of documents. The investigation by the CBI disclosed that Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh was a straight forward and reputed All India Service Officer and was strictly enforcing law, rules and regulations in his jurisdiction to the displeasure of a group of naxalites working in the area, who conspired to eliminate him. On 15.02.2002 while Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh was on tour of Rohtas village alongwith seven of his colleagues, he was surrounded by a group of naxalites led by Nirala Yadav, who demanded several illegitimate favours from Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh who directly refused to comply with their demands. Consequently, the naxalites not only assaulted him in front of his junior colleagues but also took him to the nearby forest and shot him dead. This case evoked a national debate on the safety of All India Service Officers and the Supreme Court of India even took note of this specific incident suo moto and appointed an amicus currie to monitor the investigation. During investigation, CBI arrested two hardcore naxalites, Vinod Rajwar and Roopdev Yadav. After investigation, CBI filed a chargesheet against these persons in the court of Distt. & Sessions Judge, Sasaram on 11.10.2002 under various sections of IPC, Arms Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). After the trial, the case ended in conviction CBI is making efforts to bring the other accused to book.