JDU's Anant Singh Arrested in Dularchand Yadav Murder Case, Days Ahead of Bihar Polls

Janata Dal (United) candidate and former Mokama MLA Anant Singh was arrested late Saturday night in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj Party worker and ex-RJD strongman Dularchand Yadav. 

The arrest followed a dramatic late-night police operation at Singh’s residence in Barh involving over 150 personnel, as confirmed by Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma.

File Photo Source: Civilized Society

The high-profile arrest comes just four days before the first phase of Bihar’s assembly elections, and marks a turning point in one of the state’s most closely watched -- and violently contested -- electoral battles.

According to police, Dularchand Yadav was shot and run over during a clash between rival political groups while campaigning in Mokama on October 30. A post-mortem report confirmed that Yadav’s ribcage had been crushed, indicating he was fatally run over after being shot. The incident took place in Basavanchak village in Patna district.

An FIR filed by Yadav’s grandson named Anant Singh, his nephews Karamveer and Ranveer, and two others as co-accused. Police sources suggest further arrests are likely as the investigation continues.

VIDEO | PATNA: PATNA | JD(U) candidate Anant Kumar Singh has been arrested along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram, from Bedna village in connection with a serious election code violation, officials said in a late night press conference.

Patna DM Dr.… pic.twitter.com/wr4u3IMJ3B

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 1, 2025

Reacting to the arrest, Jan Suraaj candidate and Yadav’s nephew Piyush Priyadarshi said, “He was still campaigning today in a convoy of 50 vehicles. This action should’ve come sooner. But it’s a relief for the family. The real test is what the police do next.”

The Election Commission has, for once, swiftly responded to the killing, replacing the Patna Rural SP and the Mokama returning officer, and initiating disciplinary action against three officials. The poll body suspended SDPO Abhishek Singh and ordered a compliance report by noon on November 2.

#AnantSingh#BREAKING: Former MLA and JDU candidate Anant Singh from Mokama arrested by Patna SSP Kartikey Sharma’s team from Barh. pic.twitter.com/kS3dilRgoj

— Vijay Singh (@VijaySikriwal) November 1, 2025

Anant Singh, a known “bahubali” figure with multiple criminal cases, has long dominated the Mokama seat and was given a JD(U) ticket again this year despite his controversial record. His primary opponent is Veena Devi of the RJD, wife of former MP Surajbhan Singh — himself no stranger to criminal allegations.

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अनंत सिंह को EC के निर्देश पर किया गया गिरफ्तार, भारी सुरक्षा के बीच अनंत सिंह को लाया जा रहा है पटना पुलिस लाइन.
थोड़ी देर मे PC करेगी पटना पुलिस

#BiharNews #AnantSingh #Mokama #DularchandYadav #BiharPolitics #Patnapolice #BiharPolice pic.twitter.com/P8ljRol7CH

— Sujit Gupta (@sujitnewslive) November 1, 2025

Singh has denied involvement in Yadav’s murder, instead accusing Surajbhan Singh of orchestrating the violence. “This is Surajbhan’s game. Our vehicles were also attacked,” Singh said in a statement.

Ashok Choudhary के घर सुबह-सुबह पहुंचे Anant Singh, विदेशी तोते से खेल रहे#AshokChoudhary #AnantSingh #BiharNews #LiveCities pic.twitter.com/FnSN828tp0

— Live Cities (@Live_Cities) August 23, 2025

The Mokama seat has a long history of muscle power determining political outcomes. Despite repeated calls for reform, political parties across the spectrum continue to field candidates with criminal records, citing “winnability” over clean slates. The killing of Dularchand Yadav -- himself a former strongman turned reformist campaigner -- has once again spotlighted the deep nexus between crime and politics in Bihar.

देखें वीडियो, अनंत सिंह के घर पहुंचे मंत्री अशोक चौधरी, जदयू से टिकट मिलेगा ?#AnantSingh #AshokChoudhary #JDU #BiharNews #LiveCities pic.twitter.com/uMiyRL0n8s

— Live Cities (@Live_Cities) August 12, 2025

Notably, Anant Singh filed his nomination even before the ruling JDU, with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at the helm, formally announced his candidature. At several instances, Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary, himself accused of hundreds of crores of corruption, was seen backing Anant Singh's candidature, even stating that if Anant Singh contests his party will at least secure one seat. 

आज पटना स्थित आवास पर बिहार सरकार में ग्रामीण विकास मंत्री भाई @AshokChoudhaary जी के साथ।।#AnantSingh #AshokChy #Bihar #ChoteSarkar #BiharNews pic.twitter.com/iDC3rKABTB

— Anant Kumar Singh (@MLA_AnantSingh) May 15, 2024

That statement by Ashok Choudhary in itself reveals how a bunch of old guards have held the political stage of Bihar to ransom and have deliberately derailed the state's narrative by ensuring that a toxic mix of crime and caste controls the state's politics.