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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Satendra Sah was arrested immediately after submitting his nomination papers from the Sasaram constituency, officials confirmed on Monday.

Sah was taken into custody by the Jharkhand Police, who arrived at the nomination centre to execute a non-bailable warrant (NBW) pending against him. His arrest came moments after he completed formalities to contest the election, news agency PTI reported, citing police sources.

A senior officer from Rohtas district said, “As Sah reached the office of the circle officer concerned on Monday to file his nomination papers from the Sasaram seat, the Jharkhand Police officers arrived there to execute an NBW which was pending against him. He was allowed to file his nomination papers... But soon after, he was arrested.”

The Jharkhand Police later confirmed that Sah was an accused in a 2004 bank robbery case at Chirounjiya More in Garhwa district.

Sunil Tiwari, officer-in-charge of Garhwa’s Sadar police station, said, “A permanent warrant was issued against Satendra Sah in that case in 2018. Police records indicate that more than 20 cases related to robbery, dacoity, and violations of the Arms Act are pending against him in various police stations.”

Third Arrest Of INDIA Bloc Candidate After Nomination

This is the third instance of a candidate from the INDIA bloc alliance being arrested after filing nomination papers for the Bihar polls. Earlier, CPI(ML) Liberation candidates Jitendra Paswan from the Bhore seat and Satyadeo Ram from Darauli were detained under similar circumstances.

Condemning the arrests, the CPI(ML) Liberation party issued a scathing statement, alleging political misuse of state machinery. “We strongly condemn the politically motivated arrests of Comrade Jitendra Paswan and Comrade Satyadeo Ram... They were arrested right outside the nomination centres immediately after filing their papers,” the party said.

The statement further read, “These arrests, under fabricated and baseless charges, clearly reveal the fear and panic among the NDA leaders, who feel threatened by the rising assertion of the masses and the people’s determination to bring change in Bihar.”

The party accused the ruling BJP-JD(U) alliance of resorting to repression and intimidation tactics. “Unable to confront the growing anger against its failed ‘double-engine’ government,” it alleged, “the BJP-JD(U) alliance is misusing police and administrative machinery to silence democratic opposition and suppress people’s voices.”

Bihar’s 243-member Assembly is set to go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results scheduled to be declared on November 14.