Patna: Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday accused the Bihar government and the police of attempting to shield Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MLA Sonu Singh in the investigation into the murder of Vimal Kumar, the Executive Officer (EO) of Dehri. He also criticised the state’s law and order situation and commented on the recent Bankipur Assembly by-election result during a press conference.
Questions Over Investigation
Tejashwi Yadav demanded that an FIR be registered against Sonu Singh, alleging that the deceased officer’s family had accused the MLA, along with others, of involvement in the murder.
He claimed that the Inspector General (IG) had identified the driver as the sole accused before the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report and post-mortem findings were available. According to Tejashwi, the family had also alleged that the MLA had demanded extortion money from the officer, and he questioned why the police had not investigated that aspect.
He said the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) require investigators to examine every possible angle before reaching a conclusion.
Claims Of Multiple Assailants
Referring to the injuries sustained by the deceased, Tejashwi alleged that the nature of the wounds suggested the involvement of more than one attacker.
He further claimed that the driver had changed his statement several times and questioned the police’s reliance on the explanation that work-related stress had led to the killing.
Using the police’s reasoning to make a broader point, Tejashwi remarked that if such an explanation were accepted, “a driver could even kill the Chief Minister,” adding that similar logic could apply to anyone. He also alleged that the IG had close ties with Sonu Singh, claiming the MLA had accompanied the officer at several public events.
Criticism Of Government
Tejashwi criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, alleging that he had not met the family of the slain officer despite the victim being a government official.
He also alleged corruption in government postings, claiming that preferred postings were obtained through bribery. In addition, he raised questions over the Bharat Tiwari encounter and referred to the Bunty Yadav case, alleging that the police were attempting to protect those accused in the EO murder case while violating provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The Bihar government and the police have not publicly responded to these allegations.
Remarks On Bankipur By-Election
Commenting on the Bankipur Assembly by-election, Tejashwi said the Opposition accepted the public mandate but argued that the result reflected dissatisfaction with the BJP and the Chief Minister.
He claimed that the BJP had lost two elections during Samrat Choudhary’s first 150 days in office—first an MLC election and then the Bankipur Assembly by-election. He accused the Chief Minister of pursuing “negative politics”, targeting the Opposition instead of focusing on governance, and said the election outcome reflected public dissatisfaction with the government’s performance.
