Patna: Violence erupted during the Bihar Assembly elections, leading to the killing of Dularchand Yadav, a supporter of Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kihor, in Mokama constituency of Patna district. The incident triggered widespread tension across the state. In a major development, police on Sunday arrested former MLA and JDU candidate Anant Singh in connection with the murder. He was taken into custody from his residence in Barh following sustained surveillance.
According to police, Anant Singh’s aides Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram were also detained for questioning and shifted to Patna. The murder occurred amid clashes between JDU and Jan Suraaj workers during a campaign by Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi. Assailants reportedly opened fire on Dularchand, who died on the spot. A post-mortem report revealed that though he was hit by a bullet, he succumbed primarily due to shock.
The killing led to violent protests, with enraged supporters attacking the vehicle of RJD candidate Veena Devi. The Election Commission has sought a detailed report from the DGP and ordered the immediate transfer of Patna Rural SP Vikram Sihag for failing to maintain law and order. Disciplinary action has also been initiated against Barh SDO Chandan Kumar, Barh-1 SDPO Rakesh Kumar, and Barh-2 SDPO Abhishek Singh, with Singh placed under suspension. The Chief Electoral Officer has been instructed to appoint replacements for the transferred officials.