Dhananjay Singh

Dhananjay Singh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
16 May 2009 – 16 May 2014
Preceded byParasnath Yadav
Succeeded byKrishna Pratap Singh
ConstituencyJaunpur
Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office
2002–2009
Preceded byShriram Yadav
Succeeded byRajdeva Singh Chandel
ConstituencyRari now Malhani
Personal details
Born (1975-07-16) 16 July 1975
Bansafa Village, Jaunpur, India
PartyJanata Dal (United) (2022-)
Other political
affiliations
Janata Dal (United) (2007-2009)
Bahujan Samaj Party (2009-2012)
Spouse(s)Meenu Singh (2006-2007)
Jagriti Singh (2009-17)
Srikala Reddy (2017- present)
Parent
  • Rajdeva Singh Chandel (father)
EducationUniversity of Lucknow
OccupationPolitician, businessperson

Dhananjay Singh Chandel (Hindi: धनंजय सिंह चन्देल), commonly known as Dhananjay Singh, is an Indian politician and former Member of Parliament from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh.

He served as a two-times MLA and represented the Jaunpur constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014.[1] On 17 October 1998, police reports claimed that he had been killed in an encounter. However, he resurfaced alive four months later and subsequently surrendered before a court.[2] Throughout his political career, Dhananjay emained a controversial figure, with his name being linked to several criminal cases and legal proceedings, and frequently mentioned by the Indian media as a "Criminal who came back from dead",[3] "Bahubali"[4] and "mafia-turned-politician".[5][6] He was convicted in a kidnapping and extortion case in 2024 and was subsequently granted bail.[7]

Early life and career

Dhananjay Singh was born on 16 July 1975 in Bansafa village in Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father name is Rajdeva Singh, who was a Government Teacher. He belongs to the Chandel clan, a highest Kshatriya or Rajput clan. Jaunpur is dominated by the Chandelas, This helped Dhananjay move forward, and also supported him during his early days of struggles and disputes in other villages. Dhananjay completed his intermediate education at T.D. College, Jaunpur.[8] According to the Lok Sabha, he is also involved in business and farming.[9] He graduated from University of Lucknow in political science.

Personal life

Singh married his first wife, Meenu, on 12 December 2006. She died ten months later on 12 September 2007. Family members claimed that she committed suicide.[10][11] He married his second wife, Dr. Jagriti Singh, on 29 June 2009.[12] After mutual disagreement, they separated and he married his third wife, Srikala Reddy, a BJP politician, in 2017.[13][14] She won the Jaunpur zila panchayat (district council) chairperson poll in July 2021.[15]

Crime and Politics

Dhananjay Singh first became known as a student leader when he attended Tilak Dhari (TD) College in Jaunpur.[15] In the late 1990s, he studied at Lucknow University and graduated with a master's in political science, and also started gaining notoriety around this time for his involvement in gang activity.[9][16] His opposition to the Mandal Commission recommendations increased his political popularity.[15] Between 1996 and 2013, Singh had been charged four times under the Gangster Act.[17]

In October 1998, it was claimed by police that they killed Singh in an encounter in Bhadohi while he was robbing a petrol pump. However, he appeared in public alive four months later, leading to an investigation that filed cases on up to 34 officers for the false claim.[15]

In 2002 he was elected as MLA from Rari now Malhani constituency, Jaunpur district in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2009 as an independent candidate. In 2007, he was again elected as an MLA from the aforesaid constituency on the Janta Dal (United) ticket. In 2009 Indian General Elections, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) in the 15th Lok Sabha as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member.

Up to 2024, Singh has 41 criminal cases to his record, with ten still pending and others being dismissed or acquitted in, partially due to witnesses who later backed out.[15][7]

References

  1. ↑ Centre, National Informatics. "Digital Sansad". Digital Sansad. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  2. ↑ Chakraborty, Tapas (11 July 2013). "'Criminal' who came back from dead". The telegraph online.
  3. ↑ Chakraborty, Tapas (11 July 2013). "'Criminal' who came back from dead". The telegraph online.
  4. ↑ "धनंजय सिंह: जो 'मौत' के 4 महीने बाद लौट आए.... मिलिए यूपी के उसे बाहुबली नेता से।". NBT by THE TIMES OF INDIA. 6 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Sahu, Manish (16 April 2026). "'Were falsely implicated': UP MLA & MLC after acquital in 2002 'attack' on ex-MP Dhananjay Singh". The Indian express. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Srivastava, Rajiv (12 December 2011). "Meteoric fall of muscleman from Jaunpur". The times of India.
  7. 1 2 "बाहुबली नेता धनंजय सिंह के जेल जाने से कैसे जौनपुर का लोकसभा चुनाव हुआ दिलचस्प?". BBC News हिंदी (in Hindi). 9 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "Brawn power". The Times of India. 24 September 2011. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Singh, Shri Dhananjay". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "MLA's wife commits suicide". Hindustan Times. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "MLA's wife found dead, cops doubt suicide claim". The Indian Express. 13 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  12. ↑ Siddiqui, Pervez Iqbal (6 November 2013). "MP Dhananjay Singh's second wife doctor Jagriti fought polls". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "देश के इस बड़े घराने की बेटी ने थामा भाजपा का दामन, दो साल पहले शाही शादी कर बटोरी थीं सुर्खियां" [The daughter of this big family of the country joined the BJP, had made headlines two years ago by marrying royal]. Patrika (in Hindi). Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Vadlapatla, Sribala (25 September 2019). "Huzurnagar byelection: BJP likely to field ex-MLA's daughter". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Dutta, Prabhash K; Singh, Sarpan. "Bahubalis Of Uttar Pradesh: Dhananjay Singh". India Today. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Srivastava, Rajiv (12 December 2011). "Meteoric fall of muscleman from Jaunpur". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh arrested for kidnapping". The Times of India. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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