The Bihar Police have arrested Janata Dal (United) candidate and former MLA Anant Singh in connection with the death of Dularchand Yadav, a campaigner for Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi. Singh was detained along with his two aides, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram, from Bedna village late Saturday night.
Arrest of JDU Anant Singh After Massive Police Operation
The arrest was carried out during a large-scale overnight operation involving around 150 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at Singh’s hideouts in the Barh and Mokama areas of rural Patna. The trio was later taken to Patna for questioning.
Patna District Magistrate Thiyagrajan S.M. and Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikey Sharma held a joint press conference at 3 am on Sunday, confirming the arrests. The development came hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) removed the Barh Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) following the violent incident.
Clash Between Rival Groups Amid Bihar Election 2025 Campaign
According to SSP Sharma, “On October 30, there was a clash between two groups of competing candidates. Stones were pelted, resulting in injuries. Dularchand Yadav’s body was recovered after the incident. Both sides registered cases, and police started investigating the case.”
He further added that based on evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the post-mortem report, it was clear that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) had been violated. “It was found that all this happened in the presence of the candidate, Anant Singh, who is also the main accused in the case. All three will be presented before the Barh court, and due investigation will follow,” the SSP said.
Victim of Anant Singh Sustained Gunshot Injury
As per the post-mortem report, Dularchand suffered a gunshot wound in his leg, which proved fatal. The SSP confirmed that “the bullet has not been recovered because the post-mortem showed both an entry and an exit wound.”
Bihar Administration Take Strict Action
Patna DM Thiyagrajan said the administration has taken the incident “very seriously,” adding that the MCC will be enforced strictly. Following the incident, the ECI ordered the replacement of the Patna Rural SP and initiated disciplinary action against three officials for negligence.
Political Reaction Amid Bihar Election 2025
Reacting to the arrest, Piyush Priyadarshi said, “On Friday, Anant 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.”
Background of the Case Amid Bihar Election 2025 Campaign
The violent clash occurred on Thursday afternoon in Mokama Tal, where Dularchand was campaigning for Priyadarshi. Following his death, an FIR was lodged by his grandson Neeraj Kumar, naming Anant Singh, his nephews Karamveer and Ranveer, and two others as accused.
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