On the final day of nominations for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Sasaram, Satyendra Sah, was arrested in connection with a 2004 bank robbery case in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district.
The arrest has created ripples in political circles and is being seen as a major embarrassment for the Mahagathbandhan ahead of the polls.
According to police sources, Sah was taken into custody moments after submitting his nomination papers on Monday. Sasaram police detained him outside the returning officer’s office and handed him over to Garhwa police, who later sent him to judicial custody.
The case pertains to a December 6, 2004 robbery near Chirounjiya More under Garhwa police station, where a group of six armed men looted ₹10 lakh in cash from State Bank of India employees returning to the Bhawnathpur branch.
According to police sources, Sah was taken into custody moments after submitting his nomination papers on Monday. Sasaram police detained him outside the returning officer’s office and handed him over to Garhwa police, who later sent him to judicial custody.
The robbers, who opened fire on the jeep carrying the cash, injured the security guard before fleeing with the money. The case was registered under Sections 395, 397, and 120B of the IPC for dacoity, attempt to cause grievous hurt, and criminal conspiracy.
Sah, a resident of Karhagar in Rohtas district, had been absconding for years. A permanent warrant was issued against him by the Garhwa court in 2018, and his anticipatory bail plea was rejected in April 2023.
Garhwa Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar confirmed the arrest and said Sah was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. With the courts closed until October 28 due to festivals, any hearing on his bail is likely to be delayed.
The arrest of a candidate during the election process has sent shockwaves through the Mahagathbandhan camp, potentially denting its prospects in Sasaram.
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