(MENAFN- IANS) Patna, Oct 17 (IANS) A district court in Bihar's Hajipur, on Friday, acquitted former MLA Vijay Kumar Shukla, popularly known as Munna Shukla, and former MP Suraj Bhan Singh, who were serving life sentences in the high-profile murder case of Bablu Srivastava and three police personnel.

The case, originating from Patedha village in Vaishali district, involved the murder of Bablu Srivastava, a notorious gangster and an accused in the Bhutkun Shukla murder case -- while he was being transported from Hajipur jail to Muzaffarpur court for the court hearing in 1998.

The police van was attacked by the armed men, leaving Bablu Srivastava shot dead on the spot.

Three policemen were also gunned down in the incident.

Munna Shukla and Suraj Bhan Singh were accused of their alleged involvement in this case, but the court acquitted them due to a lack of evidence.

Shukla's family claimed that he was implicated because of his connection with his brother and notorious gangster Bhutkun Shukla.

The court judgment comes amid heightened political activity in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Both leaders have strong political ties: Shivani Shukla, Munna Shukla's daughter, has been nominated by the Rashtriya Janata Dal from Lalganj, while Veena Devi, the wife of Suraj Bhan Singh, will contest from Mokama, taking on strongman leader Anant Singh.

Following the court's decision, a family member of Shukla said, "The court has delivered justice. Munna Shukla had been falsely implicated due to political rivalries and past associations."

The acquittal provides a significant boost to both families as the election campaign intensifies in Bihar.

Munna Shukla and Suraj Bhan Singh were also convicted in Bihar Minister Brij Bihari Prasad's murder case and are currently serving life imprisonment in this case.

Brij Bihari Prasad was gunned down allegedly by an Uttar Pradesh gangster Sri Prakash Shukla in the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) at Patna on June 13, 1998.

Prasad was under police security when Sri Prakash Shukla and his aides allegedly executed the murder.

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