The Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama, Anant Kumar Singh, has been arrested by Patna Police in connection with the murder of Dularchand Yadav, a supporter of the Jan Suraaj Party, Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma told ANI.
The incident in connection with which the arrest was made took place on October 30 during the campaigning for the Bihar Assembly elections in Mokama. There was a clash and firing between the two groups, which led to the death of 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav and injuries to others.
#WATCH | Bihar | SSP Patna, Kartikeya K Sharma says, "… On 30 October, there was a clash between two groups of competing candidates. Stones were pelted resulting in injuries. A dead body was recovered after the incident. The deceased, Dularchand Yadav, aged 75 years, was a… https://t.co/nsCzsdG27A pic.twitter.com/yF7L7KC0Au
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2025
The police told ANI that both parties filed complaints. After investigating the evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the postmortem report, it was found that the Model Code of Conduct had been violated. The SSP said that Anant Singh was present during the violence and was the main accused in the case.
Anant Singh was arrested along with his two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. All three will be presented before a magistrate, and further investigation is ongoing. The CID has also joined the probe, and raids are continuing to arrest others involved in the case.
The SSP clarified that the three men did not surrender but were caught by the police.
#WATCH | Bihar | Patna DM Dr Thiyagarajan SM says, "The incident that happened has been taken very seriously. We camped day and night for the last 48 hours. The situation is absolutely normal now. Since it is concerned with the election process, we investigated it thoroughly from… pic.twitter.com/UCzhSqqHNJ
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2025
Piyush Priyadarshi, the Jan Suraaj Party’s candidate from Mokama, said that although the arrest was a welcome step, it should have happened earlier. He further said, “Anant Singh was freely campaigning with a convoy of 50 vehicles even after an FIR was filed. The arrest should have been made sooner, but better late than never. What matters now is that the police conduct a fair investigation. This brings some relief to Dularchand Yadav’s family.”
A dead body was recovered after the incident. The deceased, Dularchand Yadav, aged 75 years, was a resident of the village where this clash occurred. Both sides registered cases, and police started investigating the case. Based on evidence, eyewitness accounts, and the postmortem report of the deceased, it appears that the Model Code of Conduct was violated, and it is a serious issue. It was found that all this happened in the presence of the candidate, Anant Singh, who is also the main accused in the case.
On Saturday, two Station House Officers (SHOs) were suspended in connection with the murder case, officials confirmed. According to the Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) of Patna, Ghoswari SHO Madhusudan Kumar and Bhadaur SHO Ravi Ranjan have been suspended in the case.
Mokama is infamous for being a stronghold of influential and often controversial “strongmen” or “bahubalis” in Bihar politics — most notably Anant Kumar Singh, his brother Dilip Singh, and Surajbhan Singh. Mokama is now once again in the limelight after the murder of Dularchand Yadav, as the vote battle may be influenced because of the incident.
This year, the electoral battle in the Mokama Assembly constituency in Patna district, Bihar, is centred around two bahubalis — Anant Singh and Surajbhan Singh — who dominate the region’s political narrative.
Mokama, which will vote in the first phase on November 6, is once again set to witness a high-voltage electoral contest in the 2025 polls, as the Janata Dal (United) has fielded strongman Anant Singh, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal has nominated Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
Both candidates come from the Bhumihaar community, setting the stage for a direct clash of political legacies in one of Bihar’s most volatile yet politically significant constituencies. Voting for Bihar’s 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14. (With Imputs from ANI)
