"Elections will be held peacefully": Patna SSP after Anant Singh's arrest

"On 30 October, in an unfortunate incident, supporters of candidates competing in Mokama had a clash. An incident of stone pelting took place during the clash, after which the dead body of one person was recovered. Three people have been arrested on charges of murder... Anant Singh was arrested around 2 hours ago... I want to assure the voters of Patna that elections will be held peacefully, and that they can fearlessly come out and vote. Patna Police and administration stand with the voters, and no one will be stopped from exercising their right...," SSP told ANI on Sunday.

His statement came after the arrest of Anant Kumar Singh, the Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama in connection with the murder case of a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav.

He also informed that the deceased (Dularchand Yadav) had a gunshot injury in his leg.

"The deceased (Dularchand Yadav) had a gunshot injury in his leg. As per the post-mortem report, he was murdered. The bullet has not been recovered because the postmortem report showed there was an entry wound and an exit wound."

SSP said Anant Singh has been arrested along with two associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. All three will be presented before the magistrate.

"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 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. Anant Singh has been arrested. His accomplices, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram, have also been arrested with him... All three will be presented before the magistrate, and due investigation will follow," SSP Patna, Kartikeya K Sharma said while addressing the media on Sunday.

On October 30, a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, was killed during firing between the two sides while campaigning for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in Mokama.

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 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.

Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. (ANI)