Anant Kumar Singh, the Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama, was arrested by Patna Police in connection with the murder case of a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma said.
On October 30, a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, was killed during firing between the two sides while campaigning for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in Mokama.
SSP said Anant Singh has been arrested along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. All three will be presented before the magistrate.
“… On 30 October, there was a clash between two groups of competing candidates. Stones were pelted resulting in injuries. A dead body was recovered after the incident. The deceased, Dularchand Yadav, aged 75 years, was a resident of the village where this clash occurred… Both sides registered cases, and police started investigating the case… Based on evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the postmortem report of the deceased, it appears that the Model Code of Conduct was violated, and it is a serious issue. It was found that all this happened in the presence of the candidate, Anant Singh, who is also the main accused in the case. Anant Singh has been arrested. His accomplices, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram, have also been arrested with him… All three will be presented before the magistrate, and due investigation will follow,” SSP Patna, Kartikeya K Sharma said while addressing the media on Sunday.
He further said that the raids are being carried out to arrest others.
“Three people have been arrested on murder charges, and raids are being carried out to arrest others. Soon, more arrests will be made. CID has also started investigating the case… Cases have been registered under various sections… People from both groups have been arrested for misbehaving with the police and creating law and order issues… The three accused in the murder have not surrendered. They have been arrested,” he added.
In a telephonic conversation with ANI, Jan Suraaj Party’s candidate from Mokama, Piyush Priyadarshi, said that Anant Singh should have been arrested sooner.
“This is a good gesture, but it would have been good had they taken action sooner. Today, he was moving around in a convoy of 50 vehicles and even participated in election campaigning. When an FIR was registered against him, he should have been arrested sooner… But better late than never. What is important now is how the police investigate the whole case… It is a relief for his family,” Piyush Priyadarshi said after the arrest of Anant Singh.
On Saturday, two station house officers (SHOs) were suspended in connection with the murder case, officials confirmed. According to the Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) of Patna, Ghoswari SHO Madhusudan Kumar and Bhadaur SHO Ravi Ranjan have been suspended in the case.
Mokama is infamous for being a stronghold of influential and often controversial “strongmen” or “bahubalis” in Bihar politics, most notably Anant Kumar Singh, his brother Dilip Singh, and Surajbhan Singh.
Mokama is now once again in the limelight after the murder of Dularchand Yadav, as the vote battle may be influenced because of the incident. This year, the electoral battle in Mokama Assembly constituency in Patna district, Bihar, is centred around two Bahubalis – Anant Singh and Surajbhan Singh, who dominate the region’s political narrative.
Mokama, which will vote in the first phase on November 6, is once again set to witness a high-voltage electoral contest in the 2025 polls, as Janata Dal (United) has fielded strongman Anant Singh, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal has nominated Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
Both candidates come from the Bhumihaar community, setting the stage for a direct clash of political legacies in one of Bihar’s most volatile yet politically significant constituencies.
Voting for Bihar’s 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
