Bihar: JD(U) leader Anant Singh arrested in murder case
What's the story
Former Bihar MLA Anant Singh was arrested early Sunday in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj Party worker Dular Chand Yadav. The 75-year-old Yadav was killed in a clash between rival groups while campaigning for his nephew Priyadarshi Piyush, a candidate of Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party. Singh, who is contesting from Mokama on a JD(U) ticket, was arrested from his Barh residence along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram.
Investigation update
Yadav died of cardiorespiratory failure due to injury: Police
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma confirmed the arrests at a late-night press conference on Sunday. He said Yadav died of cardiorespiratory failure due to shock caused by injury to his heart and lungs by a hard and blunt substance. "Therefore, the post-mortem report and preliminary investigation suggest that it's a case of murder," Sharma added.
Denial and blame
Singh denies involvement, blames rival
Singh denied any involvement in the incident, claiming he was "far away" from where Yadav argued with his supporters. "I do not know what exactly happened, but some of my people have complained that Yadav's henchmen vandalised their vehicles," he said. Further, he blamed Suraj Bhan, the husband of his RJD rival Veena Devi. "It must be the handiwork of Suraj Bhan. He orchestrated the killing so that I get a bad name," Singh said.
Disciplinary measures
Election Commission takes action following incident
Following Yadav's murder, the Election Commission transferred Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vikram Sihag and ordered new appointments for key officials in Barh. The commission also initiated disciplinary proceedings against three officials and suspended Abhishek Singh, sub-divisional police officer of Barh-2. Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be declared on November 14.