Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, Nov 2: Former Bihar MLA and Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama, Anant Singh, was arrested early Sunday in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dular Chand Yadav, in a case that has sent shockwaves through the political circles of Bihar ahead of the state assembly elections.
According to Patna Police, Singh was taken into custody from his residence in Barh along with two associates — Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram — for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing that occurred last Thursday. The incident took place while Yadav, a gangster-turned-politician and former RJD member, was campaigning in Mokama for his nephew, Priyadarshi Piyush, who is contesting on a Jan Suraaj Party ticket.
Confirming the arrests, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma said, “Three persons — Anant Singh, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram — have been arrested in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav.” He was addressing a joint press briefing with Patna District Magistrate Thyagarajan SM late Saturday night.
SSP Sharma further revealed that the post-mortem report indicated that Yadav died of cardiorespiratory failure caused by shock due to injury to the heart and lungs by a hard and blunt substance. “The post-mortem findings, along with the preliminary investigation, confirm that this is a case of murder,” he said.
Yadav’s death has intensified the political tension in Mokama, a constituency notorious for its long history of muscle and money power. Speaking to reporters earlier, Anant Singh had denied any involvement in the crime, claiming he was “nowhere near the spot” when the incident occurred.
“I don’t know what exactly happened, but some of my supporters alleged that Yadav’s men vandalised their vehicles,” Singh said. He further blamed Suraj Bhan, husband of his RJD rival Veena Devi, alleging, “It must be the handiwork of Suraj Bhan. He orchestrated the killing to malign my image.”
Anant Singh, once considered a strongman of Mokama, was earlier elected as an RJD MLA in 2020 but was disqualified in 2022 following his conviction under the Arms Act. His wife, Neelam Devi, later won the by-election from the same seat.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has taken serious note of the incident. On Saturday, it ordered the transfer of Patna SP (Rural) Vikram Sihag and directed disciplinary action against three local officers — including the sub-divisional officer of Barh, who is also the returning officer for the Mokama constituency. Abhishek Singh, the sub-divisional police officer of Barh-2, has also been placed under suspension.
The murder and subsequent arrests come just days before Bihar heads to the polls. Voting will take place in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.