CBI raids jailed Bihar legislator's residence

A CBI team raided the official residence of Bihar's jailed ruling Janata Dal-United legislator Anant Singh here on Saturday, police said.

"A team of CBI from Delhi raided the official residence of Anant Singh, who is currently lodged in Patna's Beur jail in connection with a kidnapping-cum-murder case," a district police official said.

The CBI team interrogated Singh in jail before they raided his official residence, he added.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav provided assistance to the CBI team after it sought cooperation of local police for raiding Singh's residence.

CBI raided Singh's residence in connection with an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in awarding contracts and an extortion racket being run by locals in connivance with influential people at Barh Super Thermal Power Station, Vaibhav said.

The station is located in Barh area of Patna and owned by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

"Anant Singh is a legislator of JD-U from Mokamah, near Barh," Vaibhav said.

The legislator, who belongs to the powerful, upper caste Bhumihar community and is considered close to Nitish Kumar, has dozens of criminal cases, including several for murder and kidnapping, registered against him

Early last month, CBI and the vigilance office of NTPC carried out a surprise check at the station in Barh.