Patna: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav and elder son of RJD president Lalu Prasad, was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody after being arrested by Patna Police in connection with violence during the alleged NEET-UG paper leak protests in the state capital on Saturday. Police alleged that his presence at the protest site escalated the agitation and led to incidents of vandalism and damage to public property.Police have filed a case against him at Gandhi Maidan police station.According to police, Tej Pratap was taken into custody on Saturday evening after he participated in demonstrations near Gandhi Maidan and Exhibition Road during the Bihar bandh called over the alleged NEET paper leak. Earlier in the day, he had joined protesting students at Ram Gulam Chowk to express support for their demands.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
Police claimed that the protest turned violent after his arrival, prompting legal action against him.After being detained, Tej Pratap was taken to Naubatpur police station. At around 12.15am on Sunday, Patna Police brought him before a Judicial Magistrate at Chhajju Bagh in Patna. The court remanded him to 14 days’ judicial custody, following which he was shifted to Beur Central Jail.SSP Kartikeya K Sharma confirmed that former minister Tej Pratap was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody. He told TOI on Sunday that Tej Pratap played a key role in leading the crowd and provoking them, which escalated the situation, leading to large-scale violence near Gandhi Maidan and Exhibition Road.During the unrest, police vehicles were allegedly vandalised and overturned, while police personnel came under attack. Police said the clashes affected the law-and-order situation, with several personnel reportedly sustaining injuries while trying to control the situation.The case registered at Gandhi Maidan police station names Tej Pratap as an accused under various sections related to rioting, assault on police personnel, damage to govt property, obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties, and causing injuries to the Gandhi Maidan police station SHO.Tej Pratap’s lawyer, Jagannath Singh, questioned the legality of the arrest, alleging procedural irregularities. He claimed the FIR was registered after the arrest and said a bail application would be moved before the court on Monday. Police, however, have maintained that the arrest was made based on evidence linking Tej Pratap to the escalation of the protest and the subsequent violence.The arrest has added a political dimension to the ongoing agitation over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak controversy, with the opposition accusing the state govt of targeting political leaders supporting student protests, while the police insist the action was taken solely on the basis of alleged law-and-order violations.
