Fearing arrest, Giriraj Singh files bail petition

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday filed a bail petition in the Patna high court after a joint team of Bihar and Jharkhand police raided his house to arrest him for his alleged hate statements but could not find him.

A BJP leader close to Singh said that he has filed a bail petition in the court in view of a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him by the Bokaro court. “The court will hear his bail petition on Friday,” BJP leader said.

Singh on Wednesday said that he will surrender before the court today but later changed his plan. Efforts to contact Singh failed. His cell phone was found switched off and his landline was not operational.

Three FIRs — two at Deogarh and Bokaro in Jharkhand and one in Patna — were lodged against him at the behest of the Election Commission. He has also been barred from campaigning in the two states in the wake of his April 18 controversial remarks. He had said that those opposing Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan and that the Centre was giving subsidies to export beef while taxing those who reared cows.

The third FIR was lodged at the Airport police station three days ago for repeating the same remarks publicly on April 20. Singh is contesting from the Nawada Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket. Voting was held in Nawada on April 10.