Lucknow, Jan 5 (IANS): A legislator of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) was Monday sentenced to life imprisonment for a murder in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The member of the state assembly from Charkhari, Kaptan Singh and his brother Mangal Singh were Saturday convicted of murder of a person, Kishan Dubey, in 2002 in police custody.

Kaptan Singh last year won the bypoll from Charkhari assembly constituency, after union Water Resource Minister Uma Bharti vacated the seat.

Police said a special dacoity court in Jalaun awarded the legislator with a lifer and acquitted the other seven accused.

While the widow of Dubey withdrew from the case last year, the case was pursued by police as the killing had taken place in police custody.

A constable named Arvind who was witness to the murder was put forth as an eye-witness and he identified Kaptan Singh and his brother as the killers of Kishan Dubey, an official said.