'Mujhe nahi pata': Nitish Kumar on warrant against new law minister Kartikeya Singh

Patna, Aug 17: After reports of a warrant against Bihar's new law minister Kartikeya Singh emerged, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said he had no information about this.

Speaking to reporters Nitish Kumar said that he "does not know" and that he has "no information" about this.

This comes a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expanded his new cabinet on Tuesday by inducting 31 new ministers, including a huge contingent of 16 from key ally RJD.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that Kartikeya Singh has a warrant against him.

"If Kartikeya Singh had a warrant against him, he should have surrendered. But he has taken oath as Law minister. I ask Nitish, is he trying to take Bihar back to Lalu's times? Kartikey Singh should be immediately dismissed," Modi, Bihar's former deputy CM, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Kartikeya Singh was 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 in the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar.

A case of kidnapping was registered against Kartikeya 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 Singh 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.

Kartikeya Singh is the MLC of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He got a place in the Nitish cabinet from RJD quota. Kartikeya Singh, a resident of Mokama, has also been a teacher by profession.

Karthikeya has been charged under several sections of IPC such as 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).

Earlier on 16 February 2017, Patna High Court had rejected the anticipatory bail petition.