Bihar election candidate Anant Kumar Singh was arrested in connection with a murder case on Saturday night — sparking heated debate among political parties. The JD(U) candidate has been named as the prime accused in the death of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav. Tragedy had struck on October 30 after clash broke out amidst campaigning in Mokama. The constituency is slated to witness a high-voltage electoral contest between the Janata Dal (United) strongman and Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee Veena Devi — the wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
What does the FIR say?
According to the FIR registered in connection with the killing, there had been a clash between JD(U) and Jan Suraaj supporters on October 30. The police have said that stones were also pelted during the commotion and caused multiple injuries. Singh allegedly shot 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav before he was thrashed by others and then run over by an SUV.
[img=1px,1px]https://data.indianexpress.com/election2019/track_1x1.jpg[/img]“Based on the evidence collected so far, including video footage and witness accounts, it has been found that Anant Singh was present at the spot when the violence occurred. He has been identified as the prime accused and arrested accordingly. A team has been constituted for further investigation, and raids are being conducted to trace others involved,” Indian Express quoted Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya K Sharma as saying.
The arrests were made after extensive scrutiny of CCTV footage, witness statements, and the post-mortem report. Two associates of Singh — Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram — were also nabbed by the police on Saturday night. Six FIRs have so far been registered in connection with the incident and a CID team formed to assist the probe. The SSP said efforts remained underway to verify the roles of individuals — who fired the shot, who drove the vehicle, and other details.
What does Anant Kumar Singh say?
The former Bihar MLA had shared a video message on social media after being arrested in connection with the murder Dularchand Yadav. The Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama posted a video that features him being escorted by police personnel on Facebook as he expressed “complete faith” in people’s support ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections.
“Satyamev Jayate! I have complete faith in the people of Mokama!! That’s why now the people of Mokama will fight this election!” he wrote in the caption.
(With inputs from agencies) |
