Patna: Janata Dal United MLA Anant Singh, a known strongman, has been arrested by Bihar Police in kidnapping and murder case.

Earlier in the day, police conducted raids at the residence of Singh and detained 12 people. The police reportedly recovered illegal weapons from Singh's residence.

This came after the Nitish Kumar government transferred Patna SSP Jitendra Rana as he took on Anant Singh. Rana had, in a dramatic press conference, produced five persons before the media and claimed they kidnapped and murdered a youth at the behest of the JDU MLA.

Rana was shunted out soon after and shifted to Motihari in East Champaran.

The crime took place last week when the kidnappers took four youth hostage, of which one later turned up dead.

Singh has claimed that he was the one who rescued the boys and handed them to the police who failed to act. The parents of the youth have backed the MLA.