PATNA, 2 November (H.S.): On Sunday, Anant Singh, a prominent political figure and Janata Dal (United) candidate from the Mokama assembly seat, was arrested late Saturday night in connection with the murder of Dulalchand Yadav. The arrest took place amidst the ongoing Bihar assembly elections.

A police team, led by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), took Singh into custody from Kargil Market in Barh. Two of his associates, Manikant Thakur and Ranjit Ram, were also arrested. All three are scheduled to be presented in court today.The case pertains to a clash between two groups in the Tartar area of Mokama on October 30, after which the body of 75-year-old Dulalchand Yadav was discovered.

According to the police, their initial investigation, based on evidence and eyewitness accounts, indicates that Singh was present at the scene during the incident. The post-mortem report revealed injury marks and a gunshot wound on Yadav's body. Singh has been named as the main accused in the case.

Dulalchand Yadav was an influential figure in the Mokama Taal region and a close aide of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. At the time of the incident, he was campaigning for a Jan Suraaj party candidate. His nephew, Piyush Priyadarshi, who is the Jan Suraaj candidate from Mokama, has welcomed the arrest, calling it a good step and a relief for his family.

Patna's District Magistrate, Thyagarajan S.M., and SSP Kartikeya Sharma confirmed the arrests at a late-night press conference. They stated that a case has been registered for a serious violation of the model code of conduct and that the CID is investigating the matter. Security has been increased in Mokama following the arrests.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar