PATNA: Former RJD MP Prabhunath Singh, already serving life sentence for killing Ashok Singh, the then Janata Dal MLA from Masrakh in Saran district, was awarded another life term by the Supreme Court on Friday in a 28-year-old double murder case.A Supreme Court division bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath also sentenced Prabhunath to seven-year imprisonment for attempting to kill a woman who was fatally injured during the same crime 28 years ago.The court also asked the Bihar government and Prabhunath to pay Rs 10 lakh separately to the next of the kin of the two murder victims and Rs 5 lakh to the woman who was injured in the attack.On August 18, the apex court, while allowing the criminal appeal of one Harendra Rai, had held Prabhunath guilty of murdering two persons - Rajendra Rai and Daroga Rai - on the day of polling for assembly elections in Chhapra in March 1995. The two were shot dead for not voting as per Prabhunaths suggestion. The apex court had passed the order while overturning the Patna high courts 2012 judgment acquitting Prabhunath.Meanwhile, the kin of the two victims have expressed satisfaction over life sentence awarded to Perabhunath. However, the former MPs family members and supporters appeared disappointed.Shailendra Rai, cousin of deceased Rajendra Rai, said, "After waiting for several years, we have finally got justice.""Justice has been delayed but not denied. We became hopeless after losing the case in a Bhagalpur court," son of Daroga Rai, another deceased, said. He recalled how they were beaten up with sticks outside the Bhagalpur court.(With inputs from H K Verma in Chhapra)

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