Former Bihar MLA Anant Singh Arrested in Connection with Jan Suraaj Supporter's Murder: Complete Investigation Details

Patna:

Bihar's Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar has explained that former Bihar MLA Anant Singh was apprehended early Sunday regarding the murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dular Chand Yadav, three days following the killing, as authorities were awaiting the post-mortem findings.

Yadav, who had transitioned from gangster to politician, was killed while supporting Jan Suraaj Party's candidate Piyush Priyadarshi in Mokama near Patna on Thursday. Reports indicate he had confronted supporters of Anant Singh, the JD(U) candidate from Mokama who is married to current MLA Neelam Devi.

In an interview with NDTV, Kumar clarified that the post-mortem couldn't be conducted Thursday night and was completed the following day.

"We needed to determine the cause of the incident, which could only be confirmed through post-mortem results," he stated, noting that Yadav had sustained a gunshot wound to his leg, which was not fatal.

The medical examiner confirmed this assessment, Kumar added.

Kumar revealed that Yadav's post-mortem indicated death resulted from cardiorespiratory failure due to shock, caused by injuries to the heart and lungs from a hard, blunt object.

"The supporters from both candidates' groups were passing each other in convoy formation, leading to a dispute about vehicle movement. Subsequently, the groups clashed, with hundreds of individuals observed throwing stones," he explained.

When questioned about viral footage apparently showing Yadav throwing stones, Kumar stated that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) would authenticate the clip.

"It's possible that he (Yadav) was present during the confrontation," he acknowledged.

Regarding whether Singh, the ruling party's candidate, would continue campaigning, Kumar confirmed he would be placed in judicial custody.

"Our actions are evidence-based. A candidate's political affiliation is irrelevant," the senior police official emphasized.

He also mentioned that police investigations are ongoing, describing the case as "not entirely blind."

Bihar is scheduled to vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting to occur on November 14.