Patna: Bihar Police chief Vinay Kumar on Sunday said that the death of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav in Mokama is being investigated to determine whether it was an accident or a deliberate act of violence. Preliminary findings from the postmortem suggest Yadav was killed by a heavy object, possibly after being run over by a vehicle. However, officials have not yet confirmed whether the incident was intentional.
At a press conference held at police headquarters, the Director General of Police (DGP) said the postmortem report ruled out a gunshot wound as the cause of death, though a bullet had grazed Yadav’s lower leg. “The exact cause of the incident—whether it was deliberate or accidental—will be established only after a thorough investigation,” Kumar said.
The DGP confirmed that clashes broke out during an election campaign in Mokama, where vehicles belonging to supporters of the Janata Dal (United) and Jan Suraaj collided. “Stone-pelting and chaos followed,” he said, adding that a video recovered from the site shows riot-like conditions, with people hurling stones and vehicles speeding away.
Kumar said that Anant Singh, the controversial former JD(U) MLA now in police custody, was present at the scene and appeared to be leading a group during the disturbance. “Singh has been arrested under collective responsibility for the violence. He has been questioned and may be taken on remand for further interrogation,” the DGP added. No weapons were recovered during searches of Singh’s premises.
The DGP also announced that Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi would be arrested in connection with the case. “Based on the video footage and available evidence, police will act against every individual involved in the riot, regardless of their political affiliation,” he said. “Our top priority is to ensure peaceful elections. No one will be spared.”
So far, 80 people have been arrested, and police are continuing to trace other suspects. The DGP said the situation in Mokama has since stabilised, with the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and district police jointly handling the probe.
Kumar warned against inflammatory social media posts and statements that could incite communal tension. “FIRs will be filed against anyone spreading hatred or communal disharmony,” he cautioned. He also appealed to eyewitnesses who recorded the incident to share their videos with the CID’s DIG and SP to aid the investigation.
Reassuring the public of fairness, Kumar said, “There will be no bias in this probe. Even the victim’s family recorded the entire postmortem process on video to ensure transparency.”
