Manjhi on Saturday said, “It smacks of political vendetta. It is quite possible that the arms were planted in his house to falsely implicate him…. Such things did happen when several Dalits were arrested and dubbed Maoists during the height of caste war in the state.”Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) president Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday came out in support of Anant Singh, the Independent MLA from Mokama, who was booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Arms Act after recovery of an AK-47, a magazine with 26 live cartridges and two hand grenades from his home in Mokama on Friday.
Mokama Police, who have booked two people in the case, on Saturday arrested Singh’s caretaker Suni Ram. Police have not initiated the process of arresting Singh, who is said to be in Patna.
Manjhi on Saturday said, “It smacks of political vendetta. It is quite possible that the arms were planted in his house to falsely implicate him…. Such things did happen when several Dalits were arrested and dubbed Maoists during the height of caste war in the state.”
Patna (Rural) SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra told PTI that it cannot be ruled out that the sophisticated weapon found from Singh’s residence may have been used in “some big incidents’’. The case is being probed and the police will act as per evidence that comes up during the investigation, he said to questions whether the MLA will be arrested.
The MLA had alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against him at the behest of JD(U) MP Lalan Singh. “Weapons not belonging to me are being shown as having been recovered from my house. The house has also been badly vandalised during the raid,’’ Singh had said.
Singh’s wife Nilam Devi had unsuccessfully contested from Munger in this Lok Sabha polls against JD(U)’s Lalan Singh.
