Mokama Murder Mystery: How Bihar's Violent Past Haunts Election Battle

The incident marked a return to violence in an area that had recently seen progress in governance and development. The victim, Dularchand Yadav, was a known local political figure who had ties at various times with leaders such as former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In 1991, he was named in a case involving the murder of a Congress worker, along with Anant Singh’s brother Dilip Singh. Dularchand and others were later cleared.

Altogether, the deceased faced 11 criminal cases, including charges of murder, kidnapping, extortion, forgery, and firearm violations.

In the current election, he was campaigning for Jan Suraaj candidate Priyadarshi Piyush. Some of his family members have accused Janata Dal (United) nominee in Mokama, Anant Singh, of his murder.

Anant Singh is facing at least 28 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, rioting, among others, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Bihar Election Watch analyses of election candidates’ self-sworn affidavits.

He has declared total assets worth over Rs 100 crores – the third-highest among candidates in the first phase of the Bihar election – with liabilities running into more than Rs 25 crores.

Known as “Chhote Sarkar”, he reclaimed Mokama in 2005 after his brother Dilip lost the seat to Surajbhan Singh in 2000. He reclaimed the seat for RJD in 2020 while in jail. He was, however, disqualified in 2022 after a conviction under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, when his wife Neelam Devi contested and won the by-poll on an RJD ticket.

This time, he is contesting again after being acquitted by the Patna High Court. Also contesting is RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of the 2000 winner Surajbhan Singh. She earlier represented Munger in the Lok Sabha between 2014-2019 for the Lok Janashakti Party.

Incidentally, Surajbhan Singh was disqualified from contesting polls following a conviction in a murder case.

Earlier, Bihar earned the sobriquet of “jungle raaj” in the early 1990s, which reflected public perceptions of permissiveness, caste violence, and criminalised politics associated with reported administrative blessings.

Lalu Prasad’s tenure emerged from a political agenda of social justice for lower castes, and it expanded political representation and voice for historically marginalised groups.

At the same time, academic and journalistic accounts attribute to the period an increase in organised criminality, politicised patronage networks, and instances where the state’s monopoly over coercion appeared eroded or selectively applied.

By the turn of the century, available records from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveal 71,000 murder cases reported in Bihar between 2001 and 2022.

Incidentally, the data reflects the highest number of cases for 2004, when 3,948 murders were registered during the Rabri Devi-led regime in her last term (2000-2005) as the Chief Minister in the RJD-led alliance comprising the Congress and the Left parties.

Earlier this year, several incidents of violence were reported across Bihar, including the killing of a patient inside a hospital in Patna and the death of a local businessman.

Similar cases were also noted in Sitamarhi, where a trader was attacked, and in Chapra, where a teacher lost his life.

- IANS