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Anant Singh, who seeks to reclaim the Mokama seat on a ticket of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), was arrested in a late-night operation yesterday
The arrest of Anant Singh (above) pertains to the killing of 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav, a local strongman and former RJD leader. (Courtesy: PTI)
Former Bihar MLA and Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh was arrested late on Saturday, two days after the murder of a supporter of the Jan Suraaj Party, Dularchand Yadav.
The arrest, confirmed by Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma, sent shockwaves through the political landscape of poll-bound Bihar, particularly in the notoriously volatile Mokama constituency.
Sharma said Anant Singh was present at the scene of crime along with two of his aides, identified as Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram.
“It was found that all this (stone pelting, arson, firing) happened in the presence of the candidate, Anant Singh, who is also the main accused in the case. Anant Singh has been arrested,” Sharma told the media in a late night press conference.
Anant Singh was arrested hours before opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav’s rally in Mokama. He was picked up from his Kargil Bazar residence in Badh, amid reports that he was planning to surrender.
Dularchand Yadav, 75, was a local strongman and former RJD leader, who was attacked on October 30, while campaigning for the Jan Suraaj Party candidate, Piyush Priyadarshi, in the Mokama Tal area. The incident followed a violent clash between rival political groups.
VIDEO | PATNA: Mokama JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh has been arrested along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram, from Bedna village in connection with a serious election code violation, officials said in a late night press conference.Patna DM Dr.… pic.twitter.com/37TBlnSpI7
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 1, 2025
An FIR filed by Yadav’s grandson directly named Anant Singh, his nephews, and others as the accused. Initial reports suggested Yadav was shot, but the subsequent post-mortem report confirmed his death was due to cardiorespiratory failure caused by a ruptured lung and multiple rib fractures, indicating he was crushed or run over by a vehicle after sustaining a non-fatal gunshot wound to the ankle.
Police said Singh’s arrest, along with two of his aides, was based on evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the post-mortem findings, as the incident occurred in the candidate’s presence. Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar told News18 that evidence at the crime scene establishes the presence of the accused, leading to their arrest.
“Multiple videos, eyewitness accounts and post-mortem report has established that the deceased passed away after a heavy object was run over him. Anant Singh’s presence at the PO (place of occurance) at the time has been established. 80 others have been arrested too for stone pelting,” Kumar said.
Security had been tightened all along the highway from Mokama to Badh with heavy paramilitary deployment since Saturday (November 1). At Yadav’s Tartar village, one company of paramilitary and local police was keeping round-the-clock vigil in three shifts amid allegations from residents that eyewitnesses were being threatened by Singh.
“Ghar se uthwa le rahey hain. TV, mobile video par jo bhi bol raha hai (Those who are speaking up on TV, video, they’re being threatened and picked up from their homes),” Sanjay Yadav, a local resident told the police.
The crowd was restless as the news trickled in that Singh had come out to campaign in Mokama after a two-day break.
Anant Singh, popularly known as “Chhote Sarkar”, is a powerful figure and a multi-term former MLA from Mokama. His re-entry into the electoral fray, contesting on a ticket from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), had already made the constituency a flashpoint. Mokama, which votes on November 6 in the first phase, has a history of clashes driven by caste politics and rivalries between powerful bahubalis (strongmen).
Singh’s principal opponent is Veena Devi, wife of rival strongman Surajbhan Singh, who is contesting on an RJD ticket. Dularchand, a Yadav chieftain, was a historical rival to the Singh family, who belong to the Bhumihar caste, adding a deep-seated layer of personal and caste rivalry to the current political battle.
The news of the arrest, however, has led to a sense of relief. The Yadav community in this area was sharply polarised after Dularchand’s death.
Singh’s supporters, however, called this a political conspiracy. “Vidhayak ji was not on the ground even in previous polls but people made him win in 2022, 2020 and 2015. Mokama ki janta will fight the polls this time also and ensure justice is done,” said Ravi Bidhyarthi, an associate of Singh.
The murder, Bihar’s first poll-related killing this season, has put the JD(U) and the ruling coalition under immense pressure. The opposition RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, immediately condemned the violence, questioning the state’s law and order machinery.
Taking a firm stand, the Election Commission of India (ECI) swiftly ordered the suspension and transfer of multiple local officials, including the Patna Rural SP and the Mokama Returning Officer, citing lapses in maintaining the Model Code of Conduct.
Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from ground zero …Read More
Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from ground zero … Read More
November 02, 2025, 05:44 IST
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