Former Bihar MLA Anant Singh, who has been fielded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) in the upcoming assembly elections, was arrested early Sunday in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav, a supporter of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party.

Yadav, a gangster-turned-politician and former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member, was killed in Mokama on Thursday while campaigning for his nephew Priyadarshi Piyush, the Jan Suraaj candidate for the constituency.

Three arrested in connection with Yadav’s murder

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma, Singh was arrested from his residence in Barh along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. Both were reportedly present when the incident took place.

“Police have arrested three persons — Anant Singh, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram — in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav,” Sharma said at a late-night press conference held with Patna District Magistrate Thyagarajan S. M.

He added that Yadav’s post-mortem report confirmed death due to cardiorespiratory failure caused by shock from injuries to the heart and lungs inflicted by a hard and blunt object, confirming that it was a case of murder.

Anant Singh denies involvement

Singh, who is contesting the election from Mokama on a JD(U) ticket, denied his involvement in the killing. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he claimed he was “far away” from the scene when Yadav’s supporters allegedly clashed with his own.

“I do not know what exactly happened, but some of my people have complained that Yadav’s men vandalised their vehicles,” Singh said. He accused his RJD rival Veena Devi’s husband, Suraj Bhan Singh, of framing him. “It must be the handiwork of Suraj Bhan. He orchestrated the killing so that I get a bad name,” he added.

A controversial political journey

Anant Singh, a strongman-politician with multiple criminal cases, won the Mokama seat in the 2020 assembly elections as an RJD candidate. However, he was disqualified in 2022 after being convicted under the Arms Act.

Following his conviction, his wife Neelam Devi contested and won the bypoll for the same constituency on an RJD ticket. With Singh now joining JD(U) for the upcoming elections, the high-stakes contest in Mokama has drawn intense attention.

Election Commission orders transfers and disciplinary action

In the wake of Yadav’s murder, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a series of administrative actions. It transferred Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vikram Sihag and ordered the replacement of key local officials, including:

  • The sub-divisional officer of Barh, who is also the returning officer for Mokama,
  • The sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) of Barh-1 and Barh-2.

The poll body has also directed disciplinary proceedings against the three officials and ordered the suspension of Abhishek Singh, the SDPO of Barh-2.

Tensions rise ahead of Bihar polls

The incident has heightened political tension in Patna district, particularly in Mokama, a constituency known for its history of criminal-political rivalry. The JD(U), RJD, and Jan Suraaj Party have traded accusations over the killing, each claiming political vendetta ahead of voting.

Bihar will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.