Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, was arrested by Patna Police on Friday in connection with a case dating back to 1995, following dramatic scenes at his residence in the Bihar capital. Soon after being taken into custody, Yadav was admitted to the hospital citing health concerns.
The arrest comes after Yadav allegedly failed to appear before a court despite being summoned in an ongoing trial linked to the Gardanibagh police station. Police say the arrest was carried out under multiple provisions of the old Indian Penal Code, now replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The development has triggered political attention due to the age of the case and the MP’s claims of a threat to his life.
Yadav, who appeared visibly unwell while speaking to reporters, said he was unsure about what would happen to him or where he was being taken. “I am not well… I don’t know what will happen with me,” he said, shortly before being moved for medical examination.
What happened at Pappu Yadav’s Patna residence
The arrest followed tense moments at Yadav’s residence in Patna, where police personnel arrived to take him into custody. Ahead of the arrest, the MP told ANI that he feared for his safety and insisted he should be produced directly before the court rather than taken to a police station.
Yadav also questioned the manner in which the police arrived, claiming that officers were in civil clothes and that he initially feared for his life. He repeatedly cited the age of the case and asked why he was being arrested now, nearly three decades later.
“I have doubt that these people might have killed me. I will go straight to the Court. I will not go to the police station. If they want, they can house arrest me. The Court has called me. Police reached here in civil uniform like criminals. I thought they had come to kill me. Is this a criminal’s house? There was a case registered around 35 years ago, and the police came to arrest me in connection with that case,” Pappu Yadav said.
Police explain arrest, cite non-appearance in court
Patna SP (City) Bhanu Pratap Singh said the arrest was linked to Yadav’s failure to appear in court during the ongoing trial. He clarified that the case was originally registered in 1995 under the Indian Penal Code, which has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“This is a 1995 case which was under the old IPC, now replaced by the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), involving sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506, and 120B. The arrest is being made under these sections. This case concerns the Gardanibagh police station. The trial was ongoing in court, and the MP was supposed to appear, but he did not appear on the scheduled date. Therefore, he is being arrested,” Singh told reporters.
He added that Yadav’s medical needs were being taken care of and that his caretaker was accompanying him.
Hospitalisation and next steps
Following the arrest, Yadav was first admitted to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences due to health concerns. At the time of writing, he was being shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital for further medical examination.
Officials confirmed that after completion of medical formalities, the MP would be taken to the police station as part of standard procedure. Further details in the case are awaited.