Ranchi, May 23 (IANS): Former RJD MP and Bihar strongman Prabhunath Singh was on Tuesday awarded life term by a Hazaribagh court in connection with a 22-year-old murder case of a legislator.

Additional District Judge Surendra Sharma pronounced the quantum of sentence. Singh, his brother Dinanath Singh and another accused Ritesh Singh were produced through video conferencing from jail.

The court awarded life term to all three convicted people.

The court also sentenced all three to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for possessing and using explosives. The court also slapped Rs 40,000 fine.

The Hazaribagh court on May 18 had convicted Prabhunath Singh, his brother Dinanath and Ritesh in the murder of then legislator Ashok Singh. Ashok Singh had defeated Prabhunath Singh in the assembly poll in 1995.

Prabhunath Singh had allegedly said that Ashok Singh would be eliminated within 90 days of the election. Ashok Singh was killed by a bomb when he was sitting in his official residence in Patna in 1995.

Ashok Singh's wife Chandni Devi had lodged the case in Patna.

On the directive of the Supreme Court, the case was transferred to Hazaribagh from Patna in 1997. The charges were framed in 2008.

The family members of those sentenced said they will move the High Court against the judgment.

Prabhunath Singh was in Janata Dal in 1995 and later joined Janata Dal-United (JD-U). Presently, he is with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He is a strongman of Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar.