Lookout notice likely against absconding MLA Anant Singh

Patna, Aug 19 (IANS) The Bihar police is set to issue a lookout notice against Independent MLA from Mokama and strongman Anant Kumar Singh, a day after he evaded arrest in a case registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Additional Director General (ADG) Police Headquarters, Jitendra Kumar on Monday said a lookout notice will soon be issued against Singh. "A special police team has been constituted to arrest him and raids are being conducted," he said.

The absconding MLA has already released two videos on the social media in which he accused the police of framing him under false charges and assured that he would surrender in four days.

Singh said the police action against him was part of political vendetta by the state government, because he was criticising it.

Singh was booked under Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Act and Explosive Act on Saturday, a day after police recovered a loaded AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade and cartridges from Singh's ancestral house at Ladma village in Madhepura district.

On Sunday night, police searched Singh's official residence in Patna and questioned his wife and some of his henchmen to find out his whereabouts.

Singh, earlier an MLA of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U), was once seen as man close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. They fell out ahead of the September 2015 Assembly elections, which Singh contested as an independent and won.

Singh, belonging to state's powerful Bhumihar caste, is much feared in Mokama and neighbouring areas in rural Patna. He has dozens of criminal cases, including several for murder and kidnapping, registered against him.

Singh's wife contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket from Munger, but lost.