4 min readPatnaFeb 8, 2026 02:24 AM IST
First published on: Feb 7, 2026 at 09:11 AM IST
Independent MP from Purnea Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, was arrested by Patna Police late Friday night in connection with a 31-year-old case registered at the Gardanibagh police station. The arrest followed a prolonged standoff at his Mandiri residence, where police and supporters were engaged in tense exchanges for a few hours.
Police said the arrest was made on the basis of a court-issued warrant after the MP failed to appear in trial proceedings despite repeated summons. The case dates back to 1995 and pertains to allegations of cheating and misuse of a rented property.
Patna City SP (Central) Bhanu Pratap Singh, who was present during the operation, said, “It is a 1995 case under the earlier IPC. Arrest is being ensured under Sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506 and 120B. This is a Gardanibagh police station case. A trial was underway on court orders, and the MP was required to be present but did not appear on the scheduled date. As a result, his arrest has been carried out.”
According to sources, the complainant, Vinod Bihari Lal, had alleged that his house was taken on rent through deception for personal use but was later converted into a political office, leading to a dispute. The matter has been under judicial consideration for several years, and the MP-MLA court recently issued orders for property attachment. A warrant was subsequently issued due to non-appearance.
The arrest came shortly after Yadav returned to Patna from Delhi around 11 pm on Friday, following the Lok Sabha session. A large police contingent, including teams from five police stations and officers in civil clothes, reached his residence and showed the warrant. Yadav, however, claimed that only papers related to property attachment were shown to him and alleged that the arrest was politically motivated.
During the standoff, some supporters climbed onto police vehicles and raised slogans. Yadav was heard telling the police that he feared for his life and insisted that he be placed under house arrest for the night and allowed to appear in court the next morning. Police, however, maintained that the warrant required immediate custody.
After his arrest around midnight, Yadav was taken for a medical examination to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS). He was later brought to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on a stretcher on Saturday morning. His personal secretary alleged on social media that the MP did not get a hospital bed and had to spend the night on a stretcher. Police said he remains in custody and is likely to be produced before the court on Saturday.
Yadav, in a post on X, alleged retaliation for raising questions over the recent death of a NEET aspirant in Patna. “We fought for justice for the NEET student, and it caused pain to the Bihar Police. They reached my Patna residence to arrest me, but Pappu Yadav will neither bow nor remain silent… Send me to jail or hang me, I will not stop,” he wrote.
Yadav has been vocal on the NEET student’s death, questioning the role of the hostel management, hospital systems and the police, and had also met the student’s family in Jehanabad. He has claimed that the timing of his arrest is linked to his criticism of the state government.
Rejecting these allegations, police said the action was purely legal and in accordance with the court order.
The case remains under trial in the MP-MLA special court, where Yadav’s appearance and plea for bail are expected to be taken up.
Independent MP Pappu Yadav was taken into custody by Patna Police late Friday from his residence. (File Photo) 
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