Raids against JD(U) lawmaker in Gopalganj following NBW

Bihar police raided homes linked to gangster Satish Pandey and JD (U) MLA Amrendra Kumar over land grabbing allegations, amid political tensions.

In a major operation, Bihar police on Monday conducted raids at several locations associated with gangster-cum-strongman of Gopalganj Satish Pandey, his brother Amrendra Kumar alias Pappu Pandey, JD (U) MLA from Kuchaikot and CA Rahul Tiwary. The action has sparked political heat ahead of the proposed swearing-in of a new government led by a BJP chief minister.

Raids against JD(U) lawmaker in Gopalganj following NBW

Over 100 police personnel were deployed as part of the operation, which searched Pandey’s residence, offices and business establishment across various locations in Gopalganj and adjoining districts. The raids were conducted following allegations of land grabbing through forged documents, patronising land mafias in the district. The MP-MLA court of Gopalganj issued arrest warrants against the MLA, his don-turned-politician brother and their chartered accountant. The warrants were reportedly issued after investigators gathered substantial evidence linking them to illegal land transactions and alleged patronage of mafia.

Gopalganj SP Vinay Tiwari said the raids were carried out following legal procedure. “Some people filed complaints, after which police registered an FIR and arrested four members of a gang. The raids were conducted following a court order,” he said.

The raids was conducted at MLA’s ancestral home in Tulsia village under Hathua. The police conducted extensive search of the premises, combing through every corner. However, both the MLA and his brother, Satish Pandey, managed to evade arrest before the teams arrived.

Earlier, four of their associates--Bhola Pandey alias Bhuneshwar Pandey (Siwan), Guddu Kumar, Deepak Kumar Ram and Nitish Kumar-- accused in the FIR had already been arrested and forwarded to judicial custody, indicating that police are systematically dismantling a larger network. According to the FIR, registered on the basis of the statement of Jitendra Kumar Rai, the four-time MLA from Kuchaikot is accused of providing protection to the land mafia and facilitating them in land deals using forged documentation.

The SP confirmed that multiple raids were ongoing and dedicated teams were actively tracking the absconding accused. Satish and Amrendra are considered influential figures in the region. “Earlier on May 24, Jitendra had registered an FIR against Satish, his brother Pappu Pandey and Bhola Pandey with Kuchaikot police station,” added Tiwari.