Union minister's kin arrested

Hajipur, Oct 2 (UNI) A nephew of union minister for human resources development Kanti Singh and seven others were arrested early today by the Vaishali police on charges disturbing public peace and blocking traffic movement along NH 77, in an inebriated condition.

Medical tests confirmed that all the eight persons, including the minister's nephew Bikalp Singh, had consumed intoxicants, police said. Booked under section 290 IPC, Biplab is the son of Jadunath Rai, a professor in Ram Lakhan Yadav College of Aurangabad and Bimla Rai who is a private secretary to Ms Kanti Singh.

The accused, posing as puja revellers, started dancing on the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur National Highway blocking movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

''They were disturbing public peace by shouting and making obscene gestures,'' the police said. The police appeared on the spot and picked them up.

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