Lookout notice issued against Mokama MLA Anant Singh in AK-47 recovery case

Bihar MLA Anant Singh has been charged under the UAPA, Arms and Explosives Act after the recovery of an AK-47 rifle from his ancestral residence.

PATNA: In more trouble for Mokama MLA Anant Singh, the Patna Police on Sunday issued a lookout notice against the gangster-politician, days after an AK-47 assault rifle, grenades and bullets were seized during raids at his ancestral house.

Bihar MLA Anant Singh, who has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, has gone missing ever since sophisticated weapons were recovered from his home by police.

As senior police officials reached his official residence in Patna on Saturday, they discovered that the controversial MLA was not there. During the search, the police recovered Singh’s official mobile phone from his residence.

Meanwhile, a fresh case has been registered against the Mokama legislator for allegedly providing shelter to another absconding criminal, Chhotan Singh.

Chhotan Singh was arrested from the residence of Anant Singh on Saturday night. When the police team, including several senior officials, reached the MLA’s official residence in Patna, they discovered that the strongman had already fled. 

However, they arrested Chhotan, who is an accused in an attempt to murder case and attacking a person named Viveka Pahalwan.

According to the police, Chhotan had been absconding for the past two years. He confessed during interrogation that he had been staying at the MLA’s official residence for the past two years.

Various police teams are conducting raids at several locations to nab Anant Singh. On Saturday, senior police officials, including Barh ASP Lipi Singh, Special Task Force Superintendent of Police and City SP (Central), had reached the residence of the Independent MLA from Mokama. 

All rooms at the residence were thoroughly searched by the cops, following which Singh’s accomplice Chhotan was arrested.

After the recovery of weapons from his ancestral residence, Singh was charged under the UAPA, Arms and Explosives Act.

According to the police, the weapons recovered from Singh’s residence might have been used in some big incidents. They are also trying to ascertain if there is any connection with an old case of smuggling AK-47 assault rifles in Munger district of Bihar.

The police earlier said that Anant Singh’s arrest is imminent as the offences registered against him do not have the provision of anticipatory bail. The police action came following specific information regarding the presence of a large cache of arms and ammunition inside Anant Singh's ancestral residence. 

Singh, nicknamed 'Chhote Sarkaar', has a long criminal record and was recently summoned to the police headquarters in Patna for giving his voice sample in connection with a bid on the life of a Mokama-based contractor. 

The MLA had reacted angrily to the raid at his ancestral house and alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched against him at the behest of JD(U) MP Lalan Singh.

The Bihar Police have debunked the allegations levelled by the MLA and said the raid was carried out in the presence of a magistrate in accordance with the law, as well as the caretaker of the house, Sunil Ram, who has also been booked under various sections. Moreover, the entire exercise was filmed, the police said.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh is the JD(U) MP from Munger, the Lok Sabha constituency under which the Mokama assembly segment falls. He had defeated Singh's wife Neelam Devi who contested on a Congress ticket by a huge margin. 

Singh was formerly known to be close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but fell out with him ahead of the 2015 assembly elections. It led to his exit from the JD(U) and retaining Mokama seat as an independent.

Thereafter, Singh, known for his strong-arm tactics, has been accusing JD(U) leaders of conspiring against him to get him framed in criminal cases. Singh had made his political debut in 2005 on a JD(U) ticket when he wrested Mokama from another gangster-turned-politician Suraj Bhan Singh.