Bihar: Special court convicts RJD MLA in arms recovery case

PATNA: Controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA from Mokama, Anant Kumar Singh alias Chhote Sarkar was convicted by a special MLA/MP court in Bihar's capital Patna on Tuesday in connection with the 2019 arms recovery case.

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on June 21.

A bench headed by Justice Triloki Dubey found the lawmaker guilty under relevant sections of the Arms Act. 

The prosecution case is that on  August 16, 2019, a police team headed by the then assistant superintendent of police Lipi Singh conducted a search operation at Singh's ancestral home at Ladma under Barh sub-division in Patna district and seized an AK-47, two hand grenades, 26 rounds of ammunition and a magazine.

The case was listed for speedy trial on the recommendation of state police headquarters. 

Singh surrendered before Delhi's Saket court and later was brought to Patna on transit remand.

Singh's legal council Sunil Kumar said that the court had reserved its order after hearing the argument of his client on Monday. On Tuesday, the court held him guilty. 

“We will move the high court against the verdict of the lower court after getting a copy of the judgment,” the legal council of Anant Singh said. The lawmaker is currently lodged in Beur central jail in Patna.

The prosecution produced 13 witnesses in the trial court while 33 witnesses appeared in defence of the accused. The chargesheet was submitted to the court on October 15, 2020, and the trial was completed on June 13, 2022.

This is for the first time that the MLA, who left JD-U and joined RJD following differences with chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Singh has numerous cases of murder, kidnapping, and land grabbing lodged against him. His name once spelled terror in Mokama Tal (riverine) area.