Arrested JD(U) MLA Anant Singh scuffle with policemen during his arrest in Patna on Wednesday. (Press Trust of India)
Bihar's ruling Janata Dal (U) legislator Anant Singh was arrested today in a case of kidnapping and extortion at Bihita in rural Patna.
The arrest took place a day after a senior police officer disclosed his involvement in another case of kidnap-murder of four persons, an issue which has snowballed into a major political challenge for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Anant Singh was arrested in a 2014 case of kidnapping of a builder at Bihta in rural Patna, Senior Superintendent of Police Vikash Vaibhav said.
The Mokamah MLA, known for his strong arm tactics, has been kept in Sachivalay police station where a large number of his supporters gathered raising slogans.
Mr Singh's arrest came after hours of search by the police under the leadership of Patna SSP at his official residence for evidence in connection with the June 17 kidnapping of four youths one of whom was later found murdered.
The SSP said that six magazines of Insas rifle were found during the search at his official residence besides clothes soaked in blood, which would be sent for DNA test.
While being taken away by the police, the MLA told reporters that he had not committed any wrong.
Though Mr Singh was arrested today in an old case, the disclosure by outgoing SSP of Patna Jitendra Rana of Mr Singh's alleged involvement in the June 17 case of kidnapping of four persons in his native Ladwa in Barh block of Patna district posed a challenge to Nitish Kumar Government as RJD, ally of JD-U, demanded Singh's arrest.
Hours after RJD spokesman Mundrika Singh Yadav told reporters about party demand of arrest of Mr Singh in the Barh case, in which Putush Yadav was found murdered, party chief Lalu Prasad also made it clear that the government should allow law to take its course.
Mr Prasad had said the matter was an "acid test" for the new Patna SSP Vikash Vaibhav who had a tenure with NIA before coming to the state.
Anant Singh, second term MLA, popularly known as "Chote Sarkar" for reportedly running a parallel administration in Barh area of Patna district, had put Nitish Kumar Government in a spot on a number of occasions in the past.
He was earlier accused of confining and manhandling a mediaperson and also defying Patna Municipal Corporation which had ordered demolition of two floors of his mall in the heart of the town.
Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, at the height of his power struggle with Nitish Kumar, had accused him of threatening to slap him for revolting against Mr Kumar.
RJD has taken a strong stand on his alleged involvement in a kidnapping-cum-murder case in Barh forcing Nitish Kumar government to act promptly against him.
Hours after the RJD spokesman made the party demand public in a press conference, a large contingent of police led by the Patna SSP, armed with a special search warrant, swooped on his home in the state capital looking for evidence in the Barh case.
RJD spokesman Mundrika Singh Yadav, who led a party team to Barh yesterday, told reporters that the victims' families and locals confirmed the MLA's "involvement."
He demanded inclusion of the MLA's name in the case and his immediate arrest. He also sought reinstatement of Jitendra Rana in Patna till the probe was completed in the case.
Mr Rana had made the disclosure to reporters before vacating office as SSP Patna. He has been transferred to Motihari and his place has been taken by Vikash Vaibhav. State JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said Mr Rana's transfer had nothing to do with the case and asserted law would take its own course.
Bihar Congress President Ashok Choudhary said Nitish Kumar has always said that nobody would be shown any favour and said the party was sure that in the present case too law would take its own course.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that in order to shield Mr Singh, Nitish Kumar transferred Patna SSP Jitendra Rana, which proved that he wished to establish "Atank ka raj" (rule of fear) in the state.
Mr Modi in a statement described Anant Singh as a "right hand man of CM Nitish Kumar" who he alleged was behind mobilizing crowd in rallies.
He said the MLA's name came up so many times in connection with land-grabbing to build hotel and mall in the capital.
"The administration never dared to touch him," Mr Modi, who was Deputy Chief Minister during the JD(U)-NDA coalition, said.