Patna, July 26: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav’s legal troubles deepened on Sunday after he was booked under the stringent charge of attempt to murder in connection with the violence that erupted during the Bihar bandh in Patna. A local court remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody, following which he was lodged in Beur Central Jail.
Police have invoked Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to attempt to murder. If convicted under the provision, Yadav could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine. In cases where grievous hurt is established, the punishment may extend to life imprisonment.
Apart from the attempt to murder charge, the FIR includes provisions related to assault on public servants, abetment, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity, disobedience of lawful orders, public disorder, causing hurt to public servants, alleged acts affecting religious sentiments and damage to public property.
The case arises from the Bihar bandh organised over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, demands for the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and action against police over their handling of student protests.
The protest near Gandhi Maidan in Patna allegedly turned violent, with clashes and stone-pelting reported during the demonstration. Several police personnel were injured in the violence, while police arrested dozens of protesters and registered FIRs against hundreds of named and unnamed individuals.
Tej Pratap Yadav was arrested from a shopping mall in Patna on Saturday evening. According to police sources, the arrest followed a review of CCTV footage from the protest site, which allegedly showed him inciting demonstrators during the agitation.
Police claimed that CCTV footage formed a key part of the evidence linking Yadav to the violence.
His counsel, however, questioned the police action and said a bail application would be filed before the court.
The Bihar bandh was part of a wider nationwide agitation over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25. The investigation into the violence and the role of those named in the FIR is underway.
