Varanasi

A special MP-MLA court in Varanasi on Wednesday acquitted all six accused, including Abhay Singh and Vineet Singh, in a 24-year-old Nadesar shootout case involving former Dhananjay Singh.

Dhananjay Singh, his gunner Vasudev Pandey, and driver Dinesh Kumar Gupta were injured in the 2002 attack. Special Judge Yajurvendra Vikram Singh acquitted the accused, citing insufficient evidence and granting them the benefit of doubt.

The court also acquitted Sanjay Singh Raghuvanshi, Satyendra alias Bablu Singh, Sandeep Singh alias Pappu and Vinod Singh.

Abhay Singh was elected MLA in 2022 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He was expelled by the party in 2025 for anti-party activities.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on October 4, 2002, in the Nadesar area of Varanasi. Dhananjay Singh, then an MLA, was returning to Jaunpur from Varanasi when the accused allegedly intercepted his vehicle near Taksal Cinema and opened fire with intent to kill.

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The prosecution said his gunner returned fire in self-defence, after which the attackers fled when police arrived. A named FIR was later lodged at Cantt Police Station, and a chargesheet was filed on December 14, 2002.