Patna: After over a decade-long trial, a Bihar court on Wednesday convicted nine persons and awarded life sentence to eight in Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) minister Brij Bihari Prasad.
Among those convicted include ruling Janata Dal – United (JD-U) MLA Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla.
The ninth convict, Sashi Kumar Rai, who was sentenced to two years in jail, is also a JD-U MLA.
A fine of Rs 20,000 each has also been imposed on the convicts.
Prasad, a senior minister in the erstwhile Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi cabinet, was killed on June 13, 1998 when he was admitted to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science in Patna.
His wife Rama Devi, a BJP MP from Sheohar, was the complainant in the case.
Seven of the convicts, excluding Shukla, are former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MPs. These include – Rajen Tiwari, Mantu Tiwari, Lalan Singh, Capt Sunil Singh, Mukesh Singh and Ramniranjan Choudhary.
Another accused in the case, Sunil Singh, who was imprisoned in high security Beur jail for a long time, had committed suicide on November 24, 2007.
Prasad, who was in judicial custody at Beur jail in connection with a multi-crore rupees talent scam, had been shifted to IGIMS after he complained of chest pain and fever.
He was gunned down from a close range when he came out of the hospital's jail ward for an evening walk.
Prasad's bodyguard Laxmeshwar Sah and aide Ravindra Bhagat, who had sustained grievous bullet injuries in the attack, died later.
Altogether 72 witnesses were examined in the case during the 11 years of trial.
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