Patna: A bail plea filed by the Janata Dal (United) legislator Anant Singh is expected to come up before the Patna High Court later this week, his lawyer has said, raising the prospect that the newly elected MLA could take his oath only after securing his release.
Singh approached the high court after a lower court rejected his application. The petition, filed on December 24, is listed before Justice Ashok Kumar Pandey, though a specific date has yet to be confirmed.
His counsel, Kumar Harshvardhan, said the legal formalities had been completed and expressed confidence in a favourable order. Associates of the legislator said details of the proceedings were being kept closely guarded, with information limited to family members and lawyers.
Singh has not yet taken the oath as an MLA in the Bihar Assembly. While he could do so with the court’s permission, people close to him said he intends to wait until regular bail is granted.
The case stems from a violent clash during the assembly election campaign in the Taal area, in which Dularchand Yadav from a rival party was killed. The incident triggered tensions locally and led to calls for Singh’s arrest. He was subsequently taken into custody by police in Patna.
Following the arrest, the then Patna senior superintendent of police, Kartikeya Sharma, said investigators believed Singh was present at the scene at the time of the killing, a claim cited as the basis for charging him in the murder case.
Singh’s lawyer has denied the allegations, arguing that his client has been falsely implicated and has no role in the killing. The defence has sought bail from the high court, contesting the prosecution’s account.
If the court grants bail this week, Singh would be free to proceed with the oath-taking and formally take his seat in the legislature.
