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Singh has been under the scanner since the death of Yadav, who recently clashed with his supporters and was picked up from his home in Barh, about 200 km from state capital Patna.
The police also arrested two other persons, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram, in connection with Yadav’s murder.
All three will be presented in court during the day.
Yadav died while he was campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party’s candidate Piyush Priyadarshi in Patna’s Mokama area on October 30.
The incident took place near Bhadaur and Ghoswari police station in Mokama area.
Addressing a late night joint press conference with Patna District Magistrate Thiagarajan SM, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Karthikeya Sharma said, “Police have arrested three people – Anant Singh, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram – in the murder case of Dular Chand Yadav.”
The SSP said that according to the post-mortem report of Yadav, he died of cardiorespiratory failure due to shock caused by injury to the heart and lungs by some hard and blunt object.
“Therefore, the post-mortem report and preliminary investigation reveal that it is a case of murder,” he said.
Sharma said, investigation also revealed that all three were present there at the time of the incident.
“He has been arrested as part of the police investigation into Yadav’s murder. A total of four FIRs have been registered by the police to investigate the incident, one of which pertains to violation of the model code of conduct,” the SSP said.
Singh, a local powerful man, has been named as an accused along with four others in an FIR lodged based on the complaint of the grandson of gangster-turned-politician Yadav, who has been named in several criminal cases.
Singh, a multiple-time former MLA, whose wife Neelam Devi currently represents the Mokama seat, has also been booked for violating the model code of conduct following instances of his agitation in large convoys.
Asked about Yadav’s murder, Singh admitted to the clash between his supporters and the deceased, but also tried to pin the blame on the underworld and his old rival in local politics, Suraj Bhan, whose wife Veena Devi is contesting from the seat on an RJD ticket.
Yadav, a dreaded gangster of the 1990s who is known for his differences with Anant Singh, was supporting Priyadarshi Piyush, fielded by Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party.
Reacting to Singh’s arrest, RJD leader and India Bloc CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav said, “This should have been done earlier. This is ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar, where killings are taking place regularly. Recently, a man and his son were murdered in Arrah…Today, the Prime Minister is coming to campaign, but he doesn’t see all this.” The RJD leader expressed confidence that “Indian alliance will form the next government in Bihar and he will take oath as CM on November 18.”
“Between November 26 and January 26, all criminals, irrespective of caste or religion, will be sent behind bars,” he said.
Dular Chand Yadav’s grandson said on Sunday that the ‘Brahmabhoj’ ritual would not be performed until “all five accused are arrested and given death sentence”.
Speaking to PTI on video, Yadav’s grandson alleged, “We are demanding that all five people involved in my grandfather’s murder should be arrested. My grandfather was killed by his opponents with the help of the administration…”
He also said, “We will not proceed with ‘Brahmabhoj’, a ritual performed after the death of a person, until all five accused are arrested and given death sentence.”
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday took a tough stance on the violence in Mokama linked to Yadav’s murder and ordered the transfer of Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) and action against three other officials.
“The Commission directed that Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vikram Sihag may also be transferred. Therefore, a panel of officers may be sent immediately to depute someone else in his place,” the election authority told the state’s Chief Electoral Officer on Saturday.
It ordered the appointment of new officers in place of Sub-Divisional Officer Barh, who is also the Returning Officer of Mokama Assembly seat, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Barh-1 and Sub-Divisional Police Officer Barh-2.
While ordering disciplinary proceedings against the trio, it also directed that Barh-2 sub-divisional police officer Abhishek Singh also be suspended.
Voting will be held in two phases in Bihar on November 6 and 11, while the counting of votes will take place on November 14.