On the afternoon of December 15, 2023, Bihar Police personnel were escorting an undertrial prisoner, Abhishek Singh alias Chhote Sarkar, from the court lock-up to produce him before an Additional District and Sessions judge when gunshots were heard. While police caught one armed assailant, another opened fire at the undertrial, shooting him multiple times before being overpowered. Abhishek Singh was rushed to a hospital, but died during treatment.
Subsequently, police said their investigation established that the killing inside the court premises in Bihar’s Danapur was orchestrated by Manoj Singh (65) and his son Manik Singh (30), who allegedly gave the job to the two gunmen.
This week, the Bihar Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested the duo, listed as being among Bihar’s top 200 criminals, from Bengaluru in connection with multiple such offences.
Kundan Krishnan, Director General of Operations and STF, said the arrests were made on February 3 following specific intelligence inputs. “They were collecting extortion in all land transactions from builders and sellers in the West Patna area,” the senior officer said.
According to the STF, Manoj Singh, carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh, and Manik Singh, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, were arrested from the Kodigehalli police station limits in Bengaluru during a joint operation by a special Bihar Police STF team and the State Intelligence Police of Bengaluru. Both are residents of Shambhupura under Naubatpur police station in Patna district and had been absconding for an extended period.
Police records indicate that the duo allegedly ran a gang mainly involved in contract killings and extortion, with their criminal history dating back to at least 2012. Manoj Singh is named in 18 cases registered across police stations in Patna district and parts of Jharkhand, including multiple cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, robbery, criminal conspiracy and offences under the Arms Act. Manik Singh is also named in 18 cases of a similar nature. Both are accused together in 15 of these cases.
Officials said the two accused were collectively involved in at least 10 cases of murder, five cases of attempt to murder, 13 cases under the Arms Act and eight cases related to criminal conspiracy, apart from several incidents of extortion, preparation for dacoity and other serious offences recorded in Bihar — primarily in Patna district — and Jharkhand.
