Patna: Just a day after Nitish Kumar's new cabinet expansion, controversy has erupted over RJD MLC Kartikeya Singh who took oath as state law minister. He was asked to surrender in Danapur court on August 16 in a kidnapping case but instead, he reached Raj Bhavan in Patna to take oath as the new minister.
A case of kidnapping was registered against Karthikeya Singh and 17 others in Patna's Bihta police station in 2014. He is accused of conspiracy to kidnap a builder with the intent to murder. A chargesheet has been filed in this case. A warrant was issued against him on July 14 2022 and he was to surrender on August 16 2022 but he went to take oath instead of surrendering to the court.
A teacher by profession who hails from Mokama, the minister got a place in the Nitish cabinet from the RJD quota. He is a close aide of jailed RJD MLA Anant Kumar Singh.
The minister has denied all the allegations against him and called it a political conspiracy.
"I do not know, I have no information about this," said CM Nitish Kumar
Kartikeya Singh has been charged under several sections of IPC including 363(kidnapping), 364 (kidnapping with intent to murder), 365 (Secret, unjustified kidnapping with intent to imprison), and 34 (The incident was committed by more than one person). Patna High Court had earlier rejected the anticipatory bail petition on 16 February 2017.