SC Refuses to Extend Anant Singh’s Interim Bail
Bihar Police given four months to complete murder investigation.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to extend the interim bail granted to expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Anant Singh and directed him to surrender by December 1 in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj Party worker Dular Chand Yadav in Bihar. The court also directed the Bihar Police to complete its investigation into the case within four months. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale passed the order while hearing a plea seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Singh.
Singh had received interim bail to attend a family wedding, but the Supreme Court declined to extend the relief and fixed December 1 as the deadline for his surrender. The direction requires the former MLA to return to custody in connection with the murder case. The bench also scheduled the matter for a further hearing after four months, giving the investigating agency a defined period to complete its probe.
Dular Chand Yadav, 75, was killed on November 30 last year while campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party candidate Piyush Priyadarshi in Bihar's Mokama Assembly constituency. Singh was arrested in connection with the case over allegations that he orchestrated Yadav's killing. The allegations remain part of the criminal proceedings, and the investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and the alleged roles of those involved.
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The Patna High Court had granted Singh bail in March this year. His interim release to attend the family wedding subsequently became the subject of proceedings before the Supreme Court, where a plea was filed seeking cancellation of his bail. By refusing to extend the interim relief, the apex court has directed Singh to surrender while allowing the police additional time to complete the investigation.
The Supreme Court's order sets a four-month timeline for the Bihar Police to conclude the murder investigation. The bench listed the matter for further consideration after that period, linking the next hearing to the time granted to the investigating agency. The direction places the investigation and its completion within the court's supervision as the case proceeds.
The development comes days after the JD(U) expelled Singh and former MLA Neelam Devi from the party for six years over alleged anti-party activities. Singh's expulsion followed the political developments surrounding the case, while the Supreme Court's latest order concerns his interim bail and the investigation into Yadav's murder.
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