Supreme Court rejects Munna Shukla's appeal against life term in 1998 murder of Bihar minister Brij Bihari Prasad

The Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence of Vijay Kumar Shukla , popularly known as Munna Shukla, for the 1998 murder of Bihar’s then RJD minister Brij Bihari Prasad in Patna. Shukla, a former MLA with a criminal background, and co-convict Mantu Tiwari had approached the apex court seeking a review of their conviction, but their petitions were dismissed.

A bench led by former chief justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan delivered the decision on 6 May, noting that there was no compelling reason to revisit the earlier judgment from 3 October 2024. "We do not find any good ground and reason to review the judgment dated October 3, 2024," the bench said. The court also denied their request for an open court hearing.

Shukla and Tiwari were convicted under IPC Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 (common intention), and were ordered to serve life sentences. They were also convicted under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and sentenced to an additional five years in prison, along with fines.

The court, however, upheld the acquittal of five other accused, including former MP Surajbhan Singh, giving them the benefit of doubt. The CBI had alleged a conspiracy to murder Prasad that was planned in Beur Jail, where several accused were lodged before the killing.

Brij Bihari Prasad, a strong OBC leader and husband of former BJP MP Rama Devi, was gunned down along with his bodyguard Lakshmeshwar Sahu. Their alleged killer, gangster Sri Prakash Shukla, was later killed in a police encounter.

Two other accused died during the trial. One of them, Bhupendra Nath Dubey, was related to a political rival of Rama Devi. The CBI had taken over the case in 1999 after links to a broader political conspiracy emerged.

Shukla and Tiwari must surrender within 15 days to serve their life terms, closing a long and politically sensitive case.