Bihar’s new law minister in the dock over warrant

According to police sources, Kartikey Kumar, member of Legislative Council (MLC) from the RJD, is one of the 25 accused, including former Mokama MLA Anant Singh, in a kidnapping case which dates back to 2014 and did not surrender in the court despite an arrest warrant issued on July 19 this year.

Bihar’s new law minister Kartikey Kumar has landed in a row for allegedly skipping an arrest warrant in a 2014 criminal case in which, according to police officials, he had to surrender before a court.

Bihar law minister and RJD leader Kartikey Kumar. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

According to police sources, Kartikey Kumar, member of Legislative Council (MLC) from the RJD, is one of the 25 accused, including former Mokama MLA Anant Singh, in a kidnapping case which dates back to 2014 and did not surrender in the court despite an arrest warrant issued on July 19 this year.

“First-class judicial magistrate Ajay Kumar of Danapur civil court had ordered bailable warrant against Kartikey on July 17 and it was issued by the court on July 19,” additional public prosecutor (PP) Rashmi Sinha said.

The Patna high court had, on February 16, 2017, rejected Kartikey Kumar’s anticipatory bail petition and directed him to surrender before the lower court to seek regular bail.

On September 19, 2018, the Patna police had filed a charge sheet against Kartikey Kumar under sections of 364 (kidnapping), 395 (punishment for dacoity) 397 (causes grievous hurt to any person) 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 120 b (conspiracy) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The minister, who is said to be close aide of Mokama strong man Anant Singh, who was recently disqualified as MLA following his conviction in a criminal case, defended himself. “All MLAs and ministers submit affidavits. I have protection from court till September 1,” he said.

His lawyer Madhusudan Singh said he was not absconding at the moment. “On August 12, the court additional session judge-III at Danapur stayed his arrest till September 1,” he said.

However, Amarjyoti Sharma, counsel for the alleged victim, Patna-based builder Rajiv Ranjan Singh, said, “In 2017, he (Kartikey) filed a plea in the HC seeking anticipatory bail, which was quashed by the court. As of now, the arrest warrant is pending. I can’t say anything about the legality of the oath.”

Chief minister Nitish Kumar feigned ignorance about the matter. “I do not know. I have no information regarding this,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which was ousted from power in the state earlier this month when CM Kumar’s party JD(U) walked out of NDA and realigned with RJD and Congress to form a new government, seized the opportunity and demanded removal of the minister.

Former deputy CM and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi said, “If the court issued warrant against him, he should have surrendered before the court. I ask Nitish, is he trying to bring back Lalu’s regime?”

RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh said action will be taken if the court pronounces him guilty in the case. “Law Minister Kartikey Kumar has also given clarification in this matter,” he said.

Senior advocate of Patna high court, Vinod Kanth, said that the minister had no other alternative than submitting him before the law. “It is preposterous to believe that the CM and the Deputy CM were oblivious of this fact. Since a warrant of arrest has been issued, he has to submit himself,” he said.