Bihar: JD(U) Candidate Anant Singh Arrested in Murder of Jan Suraaj Worker Ahead of Elections
The arrest follows violent clashes between JD(U) and Jan Suraaj supporters in Mokama constituency, just days before polling.
Patna: The political atmosphere in Bihar heated up on Saturday after Janata Dal (United) candidate and former MLA Anant Singh was arrested in connection with the murder of a Jan Suraaj party worker during an outbreak of election-related violence in the Mokama Assembly constituency.
According to police reports, the body of Dular Chand Yadav, a Jan Suraaj worker, was recovered on Thursday from a vehicle in Tattar village, located in Patna district. The incident reportedly occurred when supporters of Jan Suraaj and JD(U) clashed during an election campaign.
Addressing a press conference, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma confirmed the arrest of Anant Singh along with two others Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram.
The post-mortem report revealed that Yadav died due to cardiorespiratory failure caused by severe injuries to the heart and lungs, leading police to register the case as murder.
Police have filed four FIRs in connection with the incident, including one for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Jan Suraaj candidate Priyadarshi Piyush alleged that the violence erupted when his campaign convoy encountered that of the JD(U) near Tattar and Basunchak villages, resulting in stone-pelting and physical assault.
However, Anant Singh denied the allegations, claiming that he was meeting voters when the rival convoy began shouting slogans against him. “I told my supporters not to retaliate, but as soon as we moved forward, our vehicles at the rear were attacked,” he said.
Election Commission’s Strong Response
Reacting sharply to the incident, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated on Sunday that “violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
He emphasized, “The Election Commission treats everyone equally there is no ruling or opposition side. Every voter has the right to cast their vote peacefully, freely, and transparently.”
Following the violence, the Commission took swift action, ordering the transfer of several senior officials, including Patna (Rural) SP Vikram Sahg, and removing Barh Sub-Divisional Officer Chandan Kumar, who was also the Returning Officer for the Mokama seat. Two SDPOs, Rakesh Kumar (Barh-1) and Abhishek Singh (Barh-2), were also reassigned.
Background
Voting for the Mokama Assembly constituency is scheduled for November 6, while the second phase of polling will be held on November 11, and vote counting is set for November 14.
The incident has raised serious concerns over law and order and electoral transparency, with the Model Code of Conduct currently in effect across the state.
