Bihar MP Pappu Yadav arrested in 1995 case, says being targeted for highlighting NEET aspirant death case

According to Patna SP City, the case dates back to 1995 and was filed under several sections of the old IPC, which has now been replaced by the BNS.

A team of Bihar police arrested independent member of parliament from the state Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, in Patna on Friday in connection with a forgery case over three decades old.

Pappu Yadav claimed that cops who had come to arrest him, some of whom were in “civil dress”, had behaved “badly”. (PTI)

The police team reached to arrest Yadav even as he claimed that he was being targeted because he criticised the Nitish Kumar-run government in Bihar, particularly over the recent death of a NEET aspirant in the state, reported news agency PTI.

Initially, when the police team reached Yadav's residence to arrest him in connection with a case dating back to 1995, he refused to go with them and said that he would appear before the court on Saturday. He also claimed that while the police was carrying a warrant for the attachment of property, it was not for his arrest. However, he was later arrested amid major drama.

Drama unfolded ahead of Pappu Yadav's arrest

The police reached to arrest Yadav at his residence just around a hour after he had reached home from Delhi after attending the ongoing Parliament session. While police was trying to arrest him, a large number of Yadav's supporters gathered around his house and appeared to argue with the cops, the PTI report said.

Ahead of his arrest, Yadav said that he was going to appear before the court on Saturday.

"I have been telling these police personnel that I shall be appearing before the court tomorrow. In fact, that is the very reason I came here today. But, of course, I will not hand myself over to them," he had told PTI.

"They are misbehaving with my supporters and me. Moreover, they failed to furnish an arrest warrant when I asked for the same. All that they could produce was a warrant to attach my property," he added.

Yadav also said that he is being targeted because of late, he has been “highlighting the ineptitude of the government in handling incidents like the recent death of a NEET aspirant, which has brought to light the insecurity faced by girl students living in hostels in the city.”

During his arrest, Yadav said that he was not not well. "I don't know what will happen with me..." he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

What is the case against Pappu Yadav?

According to Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma, the warrant against Yadav was issued by the MP/MLA court in connection with a case filed back in 1995 under IPC's section 467 (forgery of documents). "The police team has gone to his house to produce him before the court tomorrow," he told PTI ahead of Yadav's arrest.

Patna SP City Bhanu Pratap Singh said that a trial court case has been going on against Yadav since 1995 and that a warrant was issued and he was to appear in court but did not comply. “His arrest has been ensured for non-compliance, and further proceedings will follow. As per law, a medical fitness certificate will be obtained after a medical examination before proceeding further,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI/ANI)