Absconding Bihar MLA Anant Singh releases third video, says will surrender only before court
Barh Police on Thursday submitted a petition before the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate and sought a proclamation notice against the MLA.
Independent legislator from Bihar’s Mokama, Anant Singh, who has been evading arrest in connection with the recovery several weapons from his house, has said he will surrender in a court and not before the police as he has faith in the judiciary.
The gangster-turned politician has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after a police team raided his ancestral house at Ladma village and seized an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, live cartridges and two hand grenades last Friday. He has been absconding ever since the first information report was filed against him with the Barh police station.
Barh Police on Thursday submitted a petition before the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate and sought a proclamation notice against the MLA. The petition is likely to be heard on Monday. On Tuesday, his anticipatory bail petition in a case of murder conspiracy was rejected and an arrest warrant was issued against him in connection with the recovery of the arms.
The video has raised a question mark on the police’s efforts to trace the absconding MLA after the arrest warrant against him.
In the video, released late on Thursday evening, the legislator accused Janata Dal(United) MP from Munger Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, Bihar minister Neeraj Kumar and Barh’s assistant superintendent of police Lipi Singh of conspiring against him.
Anant Singh alleged the weapons were placed in his house at the behest of the JD(U) MP, against whom his wife Neelam Devi contested in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. “Lalan has been planning to install a weapon on me so that he could get another set of charges framed against me,” he said in the latest video.
Officials at the Bihar police headquarters said they have informed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) about the lookout notice issued by the state government.
The police have been looking for the absconding MLA since August 17 and constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to ensure his arrest. The SIT officials carried out a search operation in more than 25 locations and also sent a team to Jharkhand, New Delhi and the National Capital Region on a tip-off that the legislator was there. But the information turned out to be false.
On Sunday night, the MLA had released two back-to-back videos claiming he was not absconding but is just visiting an ailing friend. “I have not visited my paternal house in last 14 years. So there is no question of hiding AK-47 there,” he said defending himself.
He said he will surrender before a court within three or four days.
Following the video, a massive police deployment was put in place at the Barh court and Patna civil court amid rumours that Anant Singh would surrender at either of the places. However, he did not turn up.
Anant Singh, popularly known as ’Chhote Sarkar’, has a long criminal record and was recently summoned to the police headquarters in Patna to record his voice sample in connection with an attack on a Mokama-based contractor.
He was earlier known to have shared a close relationship with Bihar chief Minister but Singh left JD(U) ahead of the 2015 assembly elections over some differences. He contested the assembly election and retained his seat as an Independent.
