A brief message was posted on the social media handle of Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh, an accused in the murder of Jan Suraaj worker Dular Chand Yadav, shortly after his arrest.
“Satyamev Jayate! I have complete faith in the people of Mokama! Therefore, the people of Mokama will now contest the elections,” read the post from Singh’s Facebook handle on Sunday. A video was also shared with the post, showing Anant Singh being taken away by police.
Early Sunday morning, a police team led by the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) arrested Singh from his residence in Barh. The arrest was made in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav, who was shot dead on Thursday following a violent clash between his supporters and those of Singh in Mokama. Singh was later brought to Patna for questioning.
Along with Singh, two others, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram, were also detained for their alleged involvement in the incident.
The police produced Singh and the two co-accused before a magistrate at the Patna Civil Court, and a decision on their custody is awaited.
Reacting to the arrest, Singh’s lawyer, Naveen Kumar, alleged a political conspiracy behind the move. “The motive is purely political and aimed at influencing votes. Dularchand’s death is indeed tragic, and we express our condolences, but Singh is being unnecessarily targeted. This is an election-related issue orchestrated by the opposition,” he claimed.
Kumar added that Singh would be presented before a judge and that the legal team would contest the charges in court.
The arrest of Anant Singh, a controversial strongman with a long-standing presence in Bihar politics, has caused a stir in the Mokama constituency, where he remains a powerful figure. Coming just days ahead of polling, his arrest is expected to have a significant political impact in the region.
