Independent Member of Parliament from Bihar, Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, was arrested late Friday night by Patna Police in connection with a forgery case that dates back more than three decades. The arrest followed a court-issued warrant and led to dramatic scenes outside his residence in Patna’s Mandiri area, where supporters gathered and clashed verbally with police personnel.
Police teams arrived at Pappu Yadav’s residence to execute the warrant issued by an MP/MLA court in a case registered in 1995 under Section 467 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with serious offences related to forgery of valuable documents. According to officials, the police moved into action shortly after the MP returned from New Delhi, where he had been attending the Parliament session.
Sources said that Pappu Yadav initially refused to go with the police, arguing that the warrant pertained only to the attachment of property and not his arrest. As word spread, a large number of his supporters assembled outside the house, raising slogans and questioning the police action. The situation remained tense for some time before authorities managed to take him into custody.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma confirmed that the arrest was carried out strictly in accordance with court directions. He stated that the warrant had been issued in the long-pending forgery case and that the police were duty-bound to act on judicial orders.
Before being taken away, Pappu Yadav spoke to the media and accused the police of misbehaviour. He claimed that some officers involved in the operation were not in uniform and alleged that he was not shown an arrest warrant at the time of detention. The MP maintained that he was already planning to appear before the court on Saturday and questioned the need for a late-night arrest.
Pappu Yadav also alleged that he was being deliberately targeted for raising his voice against the Bihar government. He said similar actions had been taken against him during the Covid-19 pandemic when he was actively helping people on the ground.
In recent weeks, the MP has been vocal about issues related to the safety of girl students living in hostels in Patna, particularly after the death of a NEET aspirant. He claimed that several students had contacted him with serious allegations, which he intended to raise publicly. He has also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not participating in the Motion of Thanks debate in the Lok Sabha.
Police officials, however, rejected allegations of wrongdoing and reiterated that the arrest was conducted as per legal procedure and court instructions. Pappu Yadav will be produced before the court on Saturday, where further proceedings in the decades-old case are expected to take place.