JD(U) Mokama candidate, bahubali Anant Singh held after 1 killed in clash

Ironically, in the caste matrix of Mokama where bahubalis, especially of the upper caste Bhumihar community, have always held sway, Anant Singh’s arrest may end up helping the JD(U). It is likely to rally the Bhumihar vote behind Anant Singh, and end up hurting the chances of the wife of Surajbhan, who is a fellow bahubali and Bhumihar.

On the other side, Jan Suraaj’s Priyadarshi could end up with a bulk of the OBC and EBC votes.

Additionally, JD(U) supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might gain some political mileage from Anant Singh’s arrest, as his police going after his party candidate helps him project administrative “neutrality”.

The RJD, which has been under attack from the NDA over its ‘jungle raj’, has questioned the Nitish government over Dularchand’s killing, saying the incident exposed its claims about being tough on crime.

With the Election Commission seeking a report, a police officer was earlier suspended for “failure” to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. The EC has additionally sought the transfer of Vikram Sihag, Superintendent of Police (Rural), Patna. On Saturday evening, the EC carried out major administrative changes, and directed disciplinary proceedings against three transferred officials.

Mokama was tense Sunday with police detaining around 80 people overnight for questioning, including 60 for violating prohibitory orders and engaging in violence. Dularchand’s funeral procession also saw some disturbance.

The FIR registered in connection with the killing of Dularchand, 75, at Tartar village in Mokama, accuses Anant Singh of shooting at him, before he was thrashed by others and then run over with an SUV.

Anant Singh was arrested along with two of his aides, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram. On Sunday, they were remanded by a Patna court to 14-day judicial custody.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya K Sharma said so far six FIRs had been registered in connection with the incident, by both sides. The post-mortem report said Dularchand suffered injuries to his heart and lungs, indicating he was likely run over by a vehicle, with death due to gunshot injury alone ruled out.

“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… Raids are being conducted to trace the others involved… Who did what, who fired the shot, who was driving the vehicle… is still being verified,” the SSP said, adding that no weapon had been recovered yet.

The incident occurred around 3.30 pm on Thursday, when the convoys of Anant Singh and Priyadarshi Piyush came face to face on a narrow road. Police said a confrontation broke out over who would cross first, which turned violent. Several people were injured, with Dularchand, who was a part of the Jan Suraaj convoy, found inside a vehicle with multiple injuries.

According to the FIR lodged by Neeraj Kumar, the grandson of Dularchand, Anant Singh and aides approached their vehicle and began abusing him. When he objected, the 75-year-old was allegedly pulled out, and shot at by Anant Singh with his pistol in the left ankle. Dularchand was allegedly beaten up with iron rods then, before being run over with an SUV.

Police said 10-12 vehicles of Anant Singh’s convoy and three belonging to Jan Suraaj supporters were damaged during the stone-pelting.

Referred to locally as “Chhote Sarkar”, Anant Singh, 64, has over 50 criminal cases since 1979, including allegations of murder, kidnapping, and extortion. In 2015, he was arrested after a large-scale police operation and later booked under the UAPA following the seizure of an AK-47 rifle and grenades in a 2019 raid on his residence. He was sentenced to 10 years in 2022 but acquitted in 2024 by the Patna High Court due to lack of evidence, paving the way for his electoral comeback.

He has spent five stints in jail over the years. His release from Bhagalpur jail in early 2024 on parole during the Lok Sabha elections drew attention after he was seen campaigning for JD(U) leader Lalan Singh.

Anant Singh’s political legacy goes further back, to his elder brothers, particularly Dilip Singh, called “Bade Sarkar”. Dilip Singh entered politics in the 1980s and contested from the Mokama Assembly seat in 1985 and 1990. After he died in 2006, Anant Singh began his reign over Mokama, and has represented the seat under different banners and as an Independent. After he was sentenced in 2022, his wife won the seat in a bypoll on the RJD ticket.

Dularchand too had a chequered criminal background, with past associations stretching from Nitish Kumar to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, and including Anant Singh. Their relations had turned tense since Dularchand shifted his political allegiance to Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj.