JDU Mokama candidate Anant Singh arrested, named ‘prime accused’

Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Kumar Singh from Mokama has been arrested by Patna Police in connection with the murder case of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma said.

On October 30, Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav was killed in an exchange of fire between the two parties while he was campaigning for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in Mokama.

SSP said Anant Singh was arrested along with his two associates Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. All three will appear before the judge.

“… On October 30, there was a clash between two groups of rival candidates. They were pelted with stones resulting in injuries. A dead body was found after the incident. The deceased, 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav, was a resident of the village where this clash took place… Both the parties registered the cases and the police started investigating the incident… Based on the evidence, eyewitness statements and the post-mortem report of the deceased, it appears that the Model Code of Conduct has been violated and this is a serious issue. All this is due to candidate Anant, who is also the prime accused in the case.” It was found to have occurred in the presence of Singh. Anant Singh’s accomplices Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram were also arrested along with him… All three will be produced before the magistrate and necessary investigation will follow,” SSP Patna, Kartikeya K Sharma said while addressing the media on Sunday.

He said the raids were also carried out to arrest others.

“Three people were arrested on charges of murder, and raids are being carried out to catch the others. New arrests will be made soon. CID has also started investigating the incident… The cases have been registered in various departments… People from both groups were arrested for misbehaving with the police and disrupting public order… All 3 accused of the murder did not surrender. They were arrested.”

In a telephonic conversation with ANI, Jan Suraaj Party’s Mokama candidate Piyush Priyadarshi said that Anant Singh should have been arrested earlier.

After Anant Singh’s arrest, Piyush Priyadarshi said, “It is a good gesture, but it would have been good if they had taken action earlier. He was traveling around in a convoy of 50 vehicles today and had even participated in the election campaign. When an FIR was registered against him, he should have been arrested earlier… But better late than never. What matters now is how the police investigate the entire incident… This is a relief for his family.”

Officials confirmed on Saturday that two station house officers (SHOs) have been suspended in connection with the murder case. According to Patna Rural Superintendent of Police (SP), Ghoswari SHO Madhusudan Kumar and Bhadaur SHO Ravi Ranjan have been suspended from the case.

Mokama is famous for being the stronghold of influential and often controversial “strong men” or “bahubalis” in Bihar politics, especially Anant Kumar Singh, his brother Dilip Singh and Surajbhan Singh.

After Dularchand Yadav’s murder, Mokama came into limelight once again as her vote bid might have been affected due to the incident. This year, the electoral battle in Mokama Assembly constituency in Bihar’s Patna district revolves around two Bahubalis – Anant Singh and Surajbhan Singh – who dominate the district’s political narrative.

Mokama, which will vote in the first phase on November 6, will once again witness a high-voltage electoral contest in the 2025 elections, with Janata Dal (United) nominating dictator Anant Singh and Rashtriya Janata Dal nominating Veena Devi, former MP and wife of influential leader Surajbhan Singh.

Both candidates hail from the Bhumihaar community, setting the stage for a direct clash of political legacies in one of Bihar’s most volatile but politically important constituencies.

Voting for Bihar’s 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will be done on November 14.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)