Mokama Murder Case: Anant Singh Remanded To Judicial Custody By Patna Court

Former Janata Dal (United) candidate and ex-MLA Anant Kumar Singh has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody in connection with the killing of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav in Mokama. The Patna court’s order came a day after Singh and two of his aides were arrested late on Saturday, sending shockwaves through Bihar’s political scene ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, India TV reported.

According to India TV, Singh was taken into custody along with his associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram, and presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Patna on Saturday. The arrest follows a violent clash on 30 October in Mokama that left 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav dead.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma said the investigation found that the altercation, marked by stone-pelting and gunfire between rival political groups, occurred in the presence of Singh. “Based on evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the postmortem report, it was established that the incident occurred under the direct watch of the candidate, who has been arrested as the main accused,” Sharma told reporters.

The incident took place during a campaign event in Mokama, a politically tense constituency where Singh was contesting on a JDU ticket. Police have filed cases against members of both sides for public disorder and violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Two station house officers, Ghoswari SHO Madhusudan Kumar and Bhadaur SHO Ravi Ranjan, were suspended for negligence. The state CID has joined the probe as raids continue to locate additional suspects, India TV noted.

Despite being in custody, Singh released a video message on social media asserting his confidence in local support. “Satyamev Jayate! I have complete faith in the people of Mokama. This time, the people of Mokama will fight this election,” he said while being escorted by police.

His statement has added to the already charged political atmosphere in Mokama, where Singh retains significant influence despite several criminal cases against him.

Reacting to the development, Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi welcomed the arrest but questioned its timing. “It’s good that the police acted, but it should have been done sooner. He was freely campaigning with a 50-vehicle convoy despite a murder FIR. Still, better late than never,” Priyadarshi told ANI.

Mokama will vote in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on 6 November. The constituency is witnessing a closely contested race between JDU’s Anant Singh and RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of former MP Surajbhan Singh. Both belong to the influential Bhumihar community.

Voting across Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats will be held in two phases, on 6 and 11 November, with counting scheduled for 14 November, India TV reported.

(With inputs from India TV)