Bihar's Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed on Sunday that former MLA Anant Singh, the Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama, was arrested early in the morning in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav, a vocal supporter of the Jan Suraaj Party, three days after the deadly clash during a campaign procession. The October 30 incident unfolded near Patna in the Mokama assembly constituency, where Yadav was campaigning for Jan Suraaj nominee Piyush Priyadarshi and reportedly clashed with Singh's backers, leading to chaotic stone-throwing involving hundreds. Kumar detailed that police delayed action pending the post-mortem report, conducted on Friday after a nighttime postponement on Thursday. The findings indicated Yadav succumbed to cardiorespiratory failure from shock, inflicted by a hard, blunt object damaging his heart and lungs—the leg gunshot wound was ruled non-lethal by medical experts.
Eyewitnesses described a convoy standoff escalating into full-scale rioting, with vehicles blocking paths and tempers flaring over procession precedence. A viral video clip allegedly capturing Yadav hurling stones has fuelled debate, prompting Kumar to order Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) verification. "It is possible he was present during the clashes," the DGP remarked, stressing the probe's reliance on tangible evidence over speculation. Singh, a notorious "Bahubali" strongman with prior convictions for illegal arms possession and explosives, was spearheading an aggressive bid in the constituency—held by his wife, Neelam Devi—when violence erupted, spotlighting longstanding feuds in this riverine hotspot known for caste rivalries and electoral muscle-flexing.
On whether the ruling party's candidate could sustain campaigning, Kumar was categorical: Singh would be remanded to judicial custody imminently, halting his poll activities. "We act on the basis of evidence. It doesn't matter who is fighting from which party," he affirmed, reinforcing Bihar Police's neutrality amid accusations of selective enforcement. This stance follows the Election Commission of India's (ECI) November 1 directive transferring Mokama's Sub-Divisional Officer and two police officers for security lapses, alongside a report demand from the state DGP. The arrest disrupts JD(U)'s arithmetic in Mokama, pitting Singh against Rashtriya Janata Dal's Veena Devi, wife of ex-MP Surajbhan Singh, in a first-phase showdown on November 6.
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Describing the case as "not completely blind", Kumar revealed over 20 detentions, including Singh's aides, with recovered weapons strengthening charges under IPC 302 (murder) and 147 (rioting). Ballistics and CCTV are under scrutiny, pointing to a premeditated fray rather than spontaneous disorder. The episode evokes Bihar's turbulent past under Lalu Prasad Yadav's regime, challenging Nitish Kumar's narrative of a safer state—law and order incidents have dipped 30% since 2020, per official data, yet poll violence persists, claiming lives in every cycle.
Bihar's 2025 elections, bifurcated into phases on November 6 and 11 with results on November 14, engage 7.5 crore voters across 243 seats, testing the NDA's 20-year hold against the Mahagathbandhan's resurgence. Mokama's turmoil amplifies opposition barbs on governance failures, potentially swaying undecideds in 100-plus constituencies. For Singh, a four-time MLA synonymous with defiance, custody marks a humiliating exit, possibly fracturing local alliances and boosting Priyadarshi's underdog bid.
As investigations intensify, the fallout could redefine Bihar's power equations, where development pledges collide with unrest realities. The ECI's interventions signal resolve for fair polls, but such tragedies underscore the urgency for robust security and cultural shifts away from strongman legacies, ensuring democracy thrives beyond ballots and brawls.
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