Tej Pratap Yadav, the eldest son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president, was arrested late on Saturday night and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days, police said on Sunday.
The police claimed that his presence and actions escalated protests related to leaked NEET papers in Patna, leading to property damage.
At around 12:15 am (Sunday), Patna police brought Tej Pratap from Naubatpur police station and referred him to the Judicial Magistrate’s residence at Chaju Bagh in Patna from where the JEM sent him to Pur Central Jail.
Yadav heads the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), which was founded in 2025. This is the first time that the 38-year-old Yadav eldest scion has been jailed during his political career spanning more than a decade.
Earlier on Saturday, Yadav was arrested after participating in the strike-related demonstrations in Bihar in Patna, called by the All India Students Association (AISA) and other left-wing organisations. The JJD chief was seen leading a demonstration at Ram Ghulam Chowk near Gandhi Square where he also allegedly climbed the statue near Gate No. 10 of Gandhi Square with a tricolor flag in his hand.
Police later detained him at Gandhi Maidan police station, according to a police officer. He said: “I am with the students and am ready to die for their rights.” He was later released after a few hours. An FIR was later registered against the JJD chief at Gandhi Maidan police station, police said.
Hours after Yadav was arrested and released, Patna police arrested Yadav late in the evening after tracking him to a prominent mall in central Patna. The police picked up Yadav from the mall and took him to Naubatpur police station. Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma said that former Bihar minister and RJD chief Yadav has been arrested on charges of rioting and accused of provoking the protesters.
A large number of policemen were injured during the protests in clashes and stone-pelting in Patna on Saturday.
Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma said that Tej Pratap Yadav was arrested on charges of rioting and accused of provoking the protesters.
Jagannath Singh, Tej Pratap Yadav’s lawyer, said a bail petition would be filed on Monday seeking his release. Earlier, supporters of Tej Pratap Yadav accused Patna police of withholding information about his whereabouts and not disclosing the charges on which he was detained after his arrest.
JJD workers claimed that Yadav was arrested by Patna police as the state government became tense after the JJD chief took the decision to support Prashant Kishor, founder of Jan Suraj Party and candidate from Bankipur seat in the by-election on Friday. On Saturday, the JJD chief also shared an X-shaped post inviting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Debki to visit Bihar to help “topple the NDA government”.
