RJD leader Dularchand Yadav died in election violence in Mokama, Bihar. JDU candidate Anant Singh is accused of murder, but in the postmortem the cause of death has been stated to be assault. Police have registered 3 FIRs and started investigation.
Mokama assembly seat of Bihar has once again become the center of ‘Bahubali politics’ and violent confrontation. The death of RJD’s old leader Dularchand Yadav after the clash between supporters of JDU candidate Anant Singh and supporters of Jan Suraj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi has not only heated up the election atmosphere but has also presented a big challenge to the investigating agencies due to the conflation of politics and crime.
Minor clash turns violent
On the evening of 30 October, this bloody conflict started in Baswan Chak of Ghoswari police station area of Mokama. According to preliminary information, the clash started between two major political camps, supporters of Anant Singh and supporters of Jan Suraj, over minor electoral supremacy. The dispute escalated rapidly and soon it turned into a violent orgy. Stones were pelted at the spot, vehicles were damaged and it is alleged that weapons were waved from both sides.
In this chaotic environment, Dularchand Yadav was found seriously injured and lying on the roadside. He was immediately taken to the hospital, but could not be saved. After his death, his supporters and family members blamed Anant Singh directly, calling it a planned murder over election rivalry.
Direct accusation on Anant Singh
Following the death of Dularchand Yadav, his grandson Ravi Ranjan lodged a named first information report (FIR) with the police late on Thursday night. In this FIR, JDU candidate Anant Singh has been made the main accused, along with his four supporters Ranveer Singh, Karmaveer Singh, Kanjay Singh, and Chhotan Singh have also been named accused.
Claim of ‘pre-planned murder’ and demand for arrest
The family of the deceased has termed the incident as a premeditated murder. Neeraj Kumar, another grandson of Dularchand, claimed in front of the media that it was “a pre-planned murder of Anant Singh.” The family members had initially made it clear that they would not cremate the body until all the accused named were arrested.
‘Twist’ of postmortem and complicated questions on death
The biggest turning point in the investigation of the case came when the team of doctors released the postmortem report of Dularchand Yadav. Initially the news was spread that he died due to bullet injury. However, the report changed this perception. According to reports, Dularchand Yadav was hit by a bullet in his ankle which had passed through, but the injury was not fatal.
Doctors confirmed that Dularchand’s body bore multiple serious injury marks of assault. For this reason, the suspicion was strengthened that his death was not caused by a bullet, but due to severe physical trauma or violent assault. This medical revelation confused the police and gave Anant Singh’s supporters an opportunity to counterattack.
Police action: Legal trap of three FIRs
The police have so far registered a total of three FIRs in this one murder case, which shows the seriousness of the tension in Mokama. According to SP Rural Vikram Singh: The first FIR was lodged by the family of the deceased, the second FIR was lodged by the opposing party (Anant Singh’s camps), in which six people were named. The third FIR has been registered by the police themselves against unknown people on charges of stone pelting and spreading violence.
Violence at crematorium: Stone pelting and firing in Pandarak
After convincing the family members and high-level intervention, it was decided to cremate the body of Dularchand Yadav on Friday. However, when the body was being taken to the cremation ground for cremation, violent clashes once again broke out near Pandarak. The anti-social elements present here indulged in stone pelting and firing, due to which the tension in the area reached its peak.
Police force deployment and tight security arrangements
After the recurrence of violence during the funeral procession, the police administration immediately came into action. Heavy police force has been deployed in Mokama and Pandarak area to keep the situation under control and prevent any untoward incident. Clear instructions have been given to the officers to deal strictly with the elements who disturb peace.
Current direction of investigation: footage and scene reconstruction
SP Rural Vikram Singh said that the police is taking the help of all modern techniques to get to the bottom of this complex matter. The direction of the investigation mainly focuses on video footage, social media clips and other electronic evidence. A police team is also doing scene reconstruction to understand the actual scenes of the incident, so that the real cause of death and those who instigated the violence can be accurately identified.
Arrests and raids
Police have so far, acting on the basis of three FIRs, arrested two accused. However, the main accused named are still absconding. Police say that they are continuously conducting raids and efforts are being made to identify other unknown attackers on the basis of video footage so that all the accused can be brought to book as soon as possible.
Anant Singh’s direct counterattack
When political pressure reached its peak after the murder of Dularchand Yadav, JDU candidate Anant Singh broke his silence and denied all the allegations outright. He termed this entire incident as a ‘well-planned conspiracy’ by his political rivals. His target was directly at his old rival and strongman leader Suraj Bhan Singh and his wife Veena Devi, who are contesting from Mokama on RJD ticket.
Anant Singh claimed that such an environment is being created against him so that he can be entangled in legal troubles at the crucial time of elections and away from the electoral field. As part of this counterattack, Anant Singh’s supporters have also retaliated by filing an FIR with the police against deceased Dularchand Yadav and Jan Suraj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi.
Storm of aggressive rhetoric in the election field
This massacre has emerged as a direct war between two poles in the politics of Mokama, due to which political rhetoric intensified in the entire Bihar.
- Pappu Yadav’s harsh statement: MP Pappu Yadav attacked Anant Singh and described him as running a ‘rule of crime’. Citing the Puthu massacre, he demanded that Anant Singh be hanged.
- Surajbhan Singh’s demand: On the other hand, Surajbhan Singh raised questions on the police investigation and demanded a judicial inquiry under the supervision of a retired judge to bring out the truth of the case.
- Congress attack: At the national level, Congress leader Ashok Gehlot raised serious questions on the law and order situation of Bihar and called it a sign of the return of ‘Jungle Raj’.
Central Election Commission took cognizance
Meanwhile, taking cognizance of the matter, the Central Election Commission immediately sought a detailed report from the Director General of Police (DGP) of Bihar, increasing the pressure on the local administration to take immediate action. Police have so far arrested two suspects and investigation is ongoing based on video footage and forensic evidence. This violent chapter of Mokama once again proves that in the politics of Bihar, the price of electoral rivalry often has to be paid with life.