The Supreme Court on Wednesday has dismissed a plea from convicted criminal-turned-politician Vijay Kumar Shukla, also known as Munna Shukla, who sought additional time to surrender in connection with the 1998 murder case of former Bihar minister Brij Bihari Prasad.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Kumar, and R. Mahadevan heard arguments from senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing Shukla. Singh requested a 30-day extension, citing his wife’s health issues and the need to manage personal affairs.
However, the bench denied the request, stating that their previous order from October 3 had already granted Shukla a sufficient 15 days for surrender, and no further indulgence would be permitted.
On October 3, the Supreme Court had convicted Shukla, a former MLA, along with his co-accused Mantu Tiwari in the murder case. The court partially overturned a Patna High Court ruling that had acquitted all defendants in the case, instructing Shukla and Tiwari to surrender within two weeks.
Tiwari is the nephew of the late Bhupendra Nath Dubey, who was related to Devendra Nath Dubey, a political rival of Prasad’s widow, Rama Devi. While the Supreme Court upheld the convictions of Shukla and Tiwari, it granted the benefit of the doubt to five other accused individuals, including former MP Surajbhan Singh, and upheld their acquittals.
The dismissal of Shukla’s plea emphasizes the court’s commitment to maintaining the timeline for justice and reinforces the seriousness of the convictions in this high-profile murder case.
