Who Is Anant Singh And What Led To The Firing Incident In Bihar's Mokama — Explained

Former MLA Anant Singh escaped unhurt during an exchange of fire between two groups in the Mokama area of Patna district on Wednesday. 

The incident occurred in the Nauranga village in Barh where members of the Sonu-Monu gang attacked him while the former MLA was on a tour of his constituency. 

Speaking on the incident, Singh said that he went to Nauranga-Jalalpur village after some people complained that Sonu-Monu gang members had locked the houses of some people and were demanding hefty extortion from them.

Meanwhile, Barh Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rakesh Kumar said that there are conflicting versions of the conflict coming from the locals in the area and added that the investigation is underway.

ALSO READ | Bihar: Gang Members Fire At Anant Singh In Mokama, Ex-MLA Escapes Unhurt

“The police received a call that an incident of firing took place in Nauranga village in Mokama area under the jurisdiction of Pachmala Police Station limits in the evening. A team immediately reached the spot and recovered three cartridges," the ASP said.

Who Is Anant Singh?

Anant Singh, a gangster turned politician, had represented the Mokama assembly seat several times. The former MLA has over 50 cases registered against him, ranging from kidnapping and murder to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The ex-MLA recently faced disqualification following the first order of conviction passed in June 2022, relating to a case lodged after an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and two hand grenades were recovered from his ancestral residence two years earlier.

The MLA is often referred to as 'Chote Sarkar' in the Mokama constituency where the politician enjoys considerable influence. He is known for his signature look featuring a hat and sunglasses and has often found himself the subject of memes for his controversial yet hilarious remarks.

However, Singh rose to prominence in the mid-2000s when TV channels showed footage of the gangster-turned-politician waving an AK-47 rifle and dancing. In August 2019, he was booked under the UAPA after an AK-47 rifle, live ammunition and bombs were recovered from his ancestral home. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the infamous AK-47 and hand grenade case in June 2022.

Anant Singh's Political History

Anant Singh has retained the Mokama Assembly seat in the Patna district of Bihar since 2005, contesting under different parties in the last two decade. 

He won the Mokama seat in 2005 and 2010 as a JD(U) candidate. However, in 2015, he fought as an Independent and won. In 2020, the Mokama MLA joined hands with the Mahagathbandhan and successfully contested under the RJD banner.

The RJD MLA Anant Kumar Singh was disqualified in July 2022 following his conviction in a case related to the recovery of arms and ammunition. Singh's bastion, the Mokama assembly constituency, is currently represented by Singh's wife Neelam Devi. Though Neelam Devi won the Mokama seat on the RJD ticket in 2022, she crossed over to the JD(U) in February 2024. 

Though the four-time MLA has often switched sides between Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), he has been seen leaning towards the JD(U) ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar. 

What Has Anant Singh Said On The Firing?

The former MLA has accused Sonu and Monu behind the firing and called them "kidnappers and thieves." Speaking on the firing incident, Singh said that a group of poor people from Nauranga village met him and alleged that they were thrown out of their houses by some influential people, who also locked their residences.

"I went to the village in the evening and asked my supporters to open the locks. I also asked my people to call those who had forcibly locked the houses of poor people. When my men reached the home of Sonu-Monu (villagers), they were attacked. Supporters of Sonu-Monu started firing….and my men also retaliated," Singh said.

He further claimed that one of his supporters sustained a bullet injury and added that he is receiving treatment at a hospital. He further claime that the local police did not take action on the complaints filed by poor villagers in the area.

However, Sonu Kumar said Anant Singh came with his people on Wednesday and claimed that the ex-MLA started the firing.

#WATCH | Sonu Kumar says, "(Former) MLA came with his people yesterday. I was working on our farm. When I returned, I saw him hurling abuses here and opened fire. People surrounded him from all directions, so after that he left from here...He is a mentally unstable man...He… pic.twitter.com/u8XwBEmjPr

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2025

"(Former) MLA came with his people yesterday. I was working on our farm. When I returned, I saw him hurling abuses here and opened fire.  People surrounded him from all directions, so after that he left from here...He is a mentally unstable man...He fired from his vehicle itself...This is a fight for Chair (position)...I had already filed a complaint against him at Barahiya PS...He is levelling false allegations against me...This is a political conspiracy," Sonu Kumar said.