Patna: RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav’s brother Pinku Yadav alias Tinku Yadav, surrendered in Danapur court on Thursday morning. The surrender followed a raid conducted by the Patna police at his hideout in Kothawan village under the Khagaul police station area. The raid, led by Danapur assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Bhanu Pratap Singh, was part of the investigation into the attempted murder of AIIMS-Patna chief security officer (CSO) Premnath Rai on August 22, 2024.
The police seized unlicensed firearms, Rs 11.5 lakh in cash, financial transaction documents, land-related papers, a note-counting machine and backdated stamp papers during the raid. ASP Singh said, “The surrender and arrest came ahead of the attachment and confiscation of Pinku’s properties on Thursday as directed by the court in case 284/24 registered at Khagaul police station in connection with the attack on the CSO.”
Singh also confirmed the arrest of Pinku’s nephew, Vinod Kumar, during the operation. “Illegal activities were being conducted at the hideout of the accused,” Singh said. “We recovered three unlicensed guns, 15 live cartridges, unaccounted cash and donation collection receipts suggesting extortion. Land papers, old stamp documents and financial transaction records are also under examination,” he added.
“The accused mentioned that uniforms and logos belonging to the security agency were stored at their hideout. Upon revisiting, these items were recovered. Vinod is also implicated in the attack on AIIMS-Patna’s CSO, along with Pinku, the main accused,” Singh added.
According to the police, Pinku sought to forcibly appoint his associates as guards at AIIMS-Patna for financial gain. He allegedly collaborated with AIIMS’s field security officer Guddu Kumar Yadav and security guard Rajkumar Yadav, both of whom were arrested earlier.
During questioning, the arrested people confessed that Pinku masterminded the attack. They revealed that Pinku had pressured the CSO to employ his men, but the CSO refused, saying that recruitment decisions were made by higher authorities. In retaliation, Pinku planned the attack to intimidate him.
The attack occurred on the AIIMS-Digha elevated road when Rai was on his way to work. His SUV was fired upon, but he narrowly escaped injury.