Patna, Feb 13 (IANS): The special MP-MLA court of Arrah in Bihar has given life imprisonment to CPIML MLA Manoj Manzil and 22 others on Tuesday in a murder case which took place in 2015.

Manoj Manzil was present in the court and he was immediately arrested following the court verdict.

“This is a conspiracy against me. I am innocent and will appeal in Patna High Court to challenge the decision. I raise the voice of Dalit and deprived sections of people in Bihar. This decision has been made only to suppress my voice,” Manzil said after the conviction.

Manoj Manzil along with 22 others were booked under the relevant charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

As per the FIR, Manoj Manzil and his aides were involved in the murder of Jay Prakash Singh of Badgaon village on August 20, 2015.

“Jay Prakash Singh and his son Chandan Singh had gone to attend a public assembly in an adjoining village on August 20 when Manoj Manzil and 22 others allegedly intercepted Jay Prakash Singh and Chandan Singh while they were returning home on a bike,” reads the FIR.

It said that they kidnapped Jay Prakash Singh while Chandan Singh managed to flee from the spot.

“After one week, the mutilated body of Jay Prakash Singh was found near Situhani canal on August 27, 2015,” the FIR reads.

The FIR was registered on the statement of Chandan Singh in Azimabad police station on August 20, 2015. It was converted into murder case on August 27, 2015.

Manzil started his political career as a student leader in AISA and was given the ticket from Agiao reserved seat by CPIML in 2015 assembly election. However, he lost the elections.

In the 2020 assembly election, he again contested on CPIML from the same seat and won defeating the JD-U candidate Prabhunath Ram.