Six-time MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, was arrested by Patna Police late on Friday night in connection with a forgery case dating back to 1995, following a tense stand-off at his residence in the Mandiri area of the city.
Yadav, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2024 as an Independent from Purnea, was taken into custody after repeatedly failing to appear before the court, police officials said.
The arrest was carried out on the basis of a warrant issued by an MP/MLA court in a case registered under Section 467 (forgery of documents) of the Indian Penal Code. When police arrived at his residence to execute the warrant, Yadav initially refused to accompany them, claiming that the officers had only a property attachment order and not an arrest warrant.
After a prolonged exchange, he was taken into custody and is scheduled to be produced before a competent court on Saturday. Police reached Yadav’s residence shortly after he returned from New Delhi, where he had been attending the ongoing Parliament session.
“A warrant was issued against the MP by the MP/MLA court in connection with a 1995 case under Section 467 of the IPC. A police team was sent to his residence to ensure his production before the court,” Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma told PTI.
The situation at the residence turned tense as a large number of Yadav’s supporters gathered outside, with some engaging in heated arguments with police personnel. Speaking to reporters before his arrest, Yadav said he had planned to appear before the court on Saturday and alleged that the police action was politically motivated.
He also linked his arrest to his recent protests over the alleged rape and death of a medical aspirant in a Patna hostel, claiming he was being targeted for raising issues against the state government.
Yadav further accused police personnel of misbehaviour and alleged that some officers were in plain clothes. He claimed that the police failed to show an arrest warrant when asked and only produced documents related to property attachment.
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