Congress MLA, ten others acquitted in Sunil Nayak murder case

A local court on Monday acquitted Prithvipur Congress MLA Brajendra Singh Rathore and ten others in the former BJP legislator Sunil Nayak's murder case, for lack of credible evidence.

However, additional district judge PK Godha awarded life imprisonment to his younger brother Yashpal Singh and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him in the case.

On November 27, 2008, Nayak was shot dead by Yashpal Singh on account of alleged poll rivalry at Nayakhera about a kilometre away from here soon after voting in the last assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh concluded.

Police arrested Yashpal the same night. His elder brother Rathore contested polls from Prithvipur against Nayak.

Rathore and 10 others were also booked in this regard but since then, he along with his son Neetoo Singh and others evaded arrest in the case for almost one-and-a-half years after which they secured anticipatory bail from the High Court.

Rathore, who had won the last assembly elections from Prithvipur was unable to take oath as a member of the House till he got bail.

Reacting to the judgement, former Chief Minister and BJP MLA from Charkhari in Uttar Pradesh, Uma Bharti said that though she welcomed the verdict, it was against people's expectations.