Key Points:
The 1999 Shilpi-Gautam murder case, remains unsolved despite police and CBI investigations.
Prashant Kishor’s 2025 remarks have brought the case back into the spotlight.
The investigation revealed signs of rape, but the case was prematurely closed as a suicide by both police and the CBI.
The jungle raj of Bihar during the rule of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi was often termed as a dark period for Bihar. Many argue that the term from 1990 to 2005 was nothing short of a jungle raj, where lawlessness and political domination prevailed.
During this time, many unsolved cases emerged, spanning from rape to murder. Some cases remain a mystery to this date, even though investigations from the side of police and CBI were prompted. One of the mysterious murder cases that led nowhere was the infamous 1999 Shilpi-Gautam murder case.
The murder of Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh shook the state of Bihar, and now, after more than two decades, the case has resurfaced once again. Why?
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor recently referenced the much-talked-about Shilpi Jain murder case in a press conference in Patna on September 29, 2025. He demanded the immediate removal of Deputy CM of Bihar, Samrat Choudhary, from his position. He stated that Choudhary should be arrested on charges of murder.
Kishor accused Choudhary of his alleged link in the 1999 Shilpi-Gautam murder case, which was heavily influenced by the political gangs in power at the time. According to the Jan Suraaj leader, Choudhary has lied about his age to get an exemption in the 1995 Taragpur murder case by claiming to be a minor.
“This is a clear case of forgery. He escaped legal action by claiming minority status in 1995, but his own affidavit proves otherwise. He should be arrested without any delay,” said Kishor during the press conference.
From political pressure to visible misgovernance to alleged ignorance by police officials and the CBI — the Shilpi-Gautam murder case still emits suspicion after 26 years. A double murder case that was immediately ruled out as suicide by the officials. How did it all begin?
On July 2, 1999, two individuals named Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh went missing. Shilpi’s parents informed the police after failing to locate her. The very next day, on July 3, 1999, two semi-nude bodies were discovered inside a vehicle that was parked in a garage near Quarter 12, Fraser Road, near Gandhi Maidan.
According to reports, the garage where the bodies were found belonged to Member of Legislative Council Sadhu Yadav. He is also the brother-in-law of former Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Shilpi Jain was a student of exceptional calibre who was not only good at studies but also had a great career in modelling. She was a student of Patna Women’s College. Shilpi won the title of Miss Patna in 1998, which led to her popularity, even resulting in the publication of her photographs across various magazines and newspapers.
Shilpi was the daughter of a cloth store owner, Ujjwal Kumar Jain, and her friend, Gautam Singh, was the only son of a London-based doctor, B.N. Singh. They both met at a party of a mutual friend and began their friendship, which later turned into a romantic relationship.
Gautam was closely associated with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) youth wing. He was also tied to Sadhu Yadav, who was the brother of then Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
The tale that ended in the brutal murder and rape of Shilpi Jain began when she was allegedly lured into the Valmiki Guest House. Shilpi was pursuing a computer course after finishing her graduation at the time.
One day, on July 2, 1999, she left for her classes but never returned home. Her body was found in a white Maruti Zen car the next day along with her friend Gautam Singh. The Bihar police allegedly ruled out their death as a case of suicide immediately. It was reported that the police officials gave the verdict even before sending the evidence for post-mortem.
The investigation was heavily interrupted by political forces and supporters of the MLC. There exist several unanswered questions like how did Shilpi and Gautam end up dead in the car? Who was the mysterious figure who lured Shilpi to the Valmiki Guest House?
When Shilpi was returning home from her classes, a mysterious man who allegedly knew Gautam asked her to get inside the vehicle. She was taken to the guest house on the pretext that Gautam was waiting for her there.
However, suspicions grew when she did not find him there. Gautam also reached the guest house after finding out about Shilpi, but he was allegedly beaten up and murdered.
Their bodies were placed in the white Maruti car, which was parked at the garage near Gandhi Maidan. Some reports claim that the garage was locked up from the inside, which indicates that someone had deliberately placed the vehicle there.
Does it mean that the person who tipped off the police about the bodies was aware of it beforehand? The mysterious man was never found. The police were heavily criticized during the investigation process due to the constant interruption caused by MLC supporters and other politicians. At the time, the Shilpi-Gautam murder case drew widespread attention due to the affiliation of big political names and parties.
The investigation was later led by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which also led nowhere. The case was investigated by the Patna Police in the initial stages, who were accused of covering up for Sadhu Yadav, who had direct ties to the case. After the case was subjected to massive pressure from the public and the opposition, it was eventually handed over to the CBI by the state government.
The CBI sent the vaginal evidence for DNA testing in Hyderabad, which indicated signs of rape by multiple people. The investigating team reportedly asked for the DNA sample of MLC Sadhu Yadav, who refused to comply with the investigation.
Even the involvement of the CBI resulted in the same end. After four years of investigation, the CBI also ruled out the Shilpi-Gautam murder case as suicide in 2003. The case never received any trial in court, and the families of the victims never received proper closure about what really unfolded on July 3, 1999.
According to some sources, the family of Shilpi Jain attempted to challenge the suicide ruling given by the CBI by reopening the case once again in 2004. They aimed to take the case forward from the High Court to the Supreme Court but failed to do so. The culprits of the case were never arrested. [Rh/VS]
Suggested Reading:
