Rajesh Ranjan, better known as Pappu Yadav and currently an Independent Member of Parliament from Purnea, was arrested by Patna Police in the early hours of Saturday, February 7, 2026.
The arrest followed a high-voltage standoff at his residence in the Mandiri locality, stemming from a forgery case registered in 1995. Complainant Vinod Bihari Lal alleged that Yadav rented his property under false pretences, concealing that it would be used as a political office.
While the police executed the arrest based on a court warrant due to his repeated absence from hearings, Yadav and his supporters claimed the move was a case of political vendetta. Following his arrest, the MP was admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) due to health concerns.
Pappy Yadav Arrested
The case dates back over thirty years to a dispute registered at the Gardanibagh police station in Patna under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery and criminal conspiracy.
According to the original complaint, the Purnea MP entered a rental agreement for a residential property, but the owner later discovered the premises were being utilised as a formal parliamentary office without prior disclosure or consent.
Over the years, the legal proceedings saw numerous delays. The recent escalation occurred after an MP/MLA court took a stringent view of Pappu Yadav’s continued non-appearance during the trial.
Consequently, the court issued an arrest warrant and a property attachment order, leading to the massive police deployment at his residence shortly after he returned from a Parliament session in New Delhi.
Midnight Standoff
The atmosphere at Yadav’s residence turned tense as nearly 50 police personnel arrived to execute the warrant, meeting stiff resistance from a large gathering of supporters.
Pappu Yadav allegedly refused to accompany the officers, questioning the validity of the arrest warrant and accusing the administration of misbehaviour, specifically claiming that some officers arrived in civilian clothes.
City Superintendent of Police, Patna, Bhanu Pratap Singh, clarified that the action complied with the court order following the MP’s failure to appear on scheduled dates. Conversely, Yadav took to social media and told reporters that he was being targeted for his recent activism.
He claimed the arrest was an attempt to silence him for highlighting government ineptitude regarding the safety of girl students in Patna hostels and seeking justice for a deceased NEET aspirant.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that the cornerstone of a healthy democracy is the impartial application of the law, free from the shadows of political timing.
While legal accountability for decades-old cases is necessary to ensure justice for complainants like Vinod Bihari Lal, the dramatic nature of midnight arrests often raises concerns about the potential weaponisation of state machinery.
We advocate for a system where judicial processes are transparent and consistent, ensuring that neither power nor political affiliation shields an individual or subjects them to undue harassment.
True justice thrives in an environment of harmony and fair play, where the focus remains on the merits of the case rather than political optics.
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