Bihar MLA booked under UAPA absconding: Police

Controversial Bihar Independent MLA and strongman Anant Singh who has been booked under the UAPA is absconding, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

The Mokama MLA was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after a police team raided his ancestral house at Ladma village and seized an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, live cartridges and two hand grenades on Friday.

"Police raided the official residence of MLA Anant Singh here on Saturday night for his arrest but he was found absconding from his house," Superintendent of Police (Rural), Patna, Kantesh Kumar Mishra told PTI.

Police arrested the absconding MLA's accomplice Chhotan Singh from his official residence during the raid, Mishra said, adding that a separate FIR is being lodged at Sachivalaya Police Station in Patna against Anant Singh for giving shelter and protection to Chhotan Singh who is an accused in connection with a criminal case lodged with Barh Police Station.

Police seized a sword from the legislator's official residence, the SP said.

The three official bodyguards of the MLA have also been withdrawn before conducting raid at Singh's residence, he added.

Asked whether raids are being conducted to nab Anant Singh, the SP said that he can't say anything more on the issue right now.

Police sources, however, said that Anant Singh will be arrested at the earliest.

Singh-- nicknamed 'Chhote Sarkar'-- 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 strongly to the raid conducted on his ancestral house on Friday night and alleged "a conspiracy has been hatched against me at the behest of Lalan Singh".

"Weapons not belonging to me are being shown as having been recovered from my house. The house has also been vandalised during the raid," he said.

The 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. Moreover, the entire exercise was captured in a video recording.

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) but he retained the 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.

The seat was earlier held by Anant Singh's elder brother Dilip Singh, who had served as a minister in the Rabri Devi government.