Former MLA Anant Singh gets clean chit in AK-47 case from Patna high court

New Delhi: Former MLA Anant Singh has been cleared of charges by the Patna High Court in a case involving an AK-47 rifle and bulletproof vest. The court found him not guilty due to insufficient evidence. Previously, a lower court had sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Since 2016, Singh has been in jail. With no pending cases against him, he is expected to be released from Beur Jail within the next day or two.

During the recent Lok Sabha elections, Anant Singh was temporarily released from prison on parole. While out, he actively supported JDU candidate Lallan Singh's campaign in his area. At the time, Anant Singh expressed confidence that he would soon be permanently released from prison. He has consistently claimed that IPS officer Lipi Singh falsely accused him. Notably, Anant Singh was previously opposed to the ruling party, but the political landscape has shifted. His wife, Neelam Devi, who was an MLA for the RJD party, has now switched sides and joined the JDU party.

Anant Singh supports JDU candidate

Anant Singh supported JDU candidate Lallan Singh during his temporary release from prison, despite his caste voters being angry with this. When Lallan Singh's campaign vehicle got stuck in Mokama, Anant Singh helped push it out. Mokama is a place where Anant Singh has strong support. In the past, Lallan Singh challenged Anant Singh in elections held in 2005, 2010, and 2015. Lallan Singh ran as a candidate for Ram Vilas Paswan's party in 2010 and 2005. In one of those elections, Anant Singh won by a narrow margin of just 2,000 votes over Lallan Singh. 

Anant Singh's criminal history

Anant Kumar Singh has a criminal history spanning over four decades. An affidavit filed ahead of the 2020 Bihar assembly elections shows that the first criminal case against him dates back to May 1979, when he was charged with murder along with others. However, a chargesheet was never filed.

According to the affidavit, 39 cases were registered against Anant Singh. However, the number is higher according to Patna High Court documents, which state that there were 52 cases against him. In all, he was convicted in only two cases. One in 2015 and the other in 2019.
In 2015, Patna police raided his residence following a kidnapping-murder case.

Crime scene evidence leads to surrender

During the raid, police recovered six empty magazines of an INSAS rifle, a bulletproof jacket and some blood-stained clothes. The next day, the body of one of the victims, Putush Yadav, was found in Anant Singh's native village, Nadawan.

In 2019, Patna police raided his residence on the morning of August 16 and recovered an AK-47 and hand grenades from him. However, he initially managed to evade arrest and then surrendered in a local court in Delhi a week later.