RJD candidate Satendra Sah faced immediate arrest after submitting his nomination papers for the Sasaram Assembly seat in Bihar on Monday, October 20, 2025. Officials confirmed the detention, which occurred just moments after the official process was completed.
According to police officers, Mr. Sah’s arrest was carried out by Jharkhand Police based on a pending non-bailable warrant (NBW). The sudden development left his supporters in a state of bewilderment. A senior officer from the Rohtas district, speaking anonymously, explained that Jharkhand Police personnel arrived at the circle officer’s office to execute the NBW as Mr. Sah was in the process of filing his papers. He was permitted to complete his nomination, but was taken into custody immediately afterward. Further details regarding the specific charges leading to the NBW were not disclosed, with officials stating that information would come from the Jharkhand Police.
This incident is notably the third of its kind, where a candidate from the opposition INDIA bloc has been arrested shortly after filing their nomination. Previously, CPI(ML) Liberation candidates Jitendra Paswan, representing the Bhore seat, and Satyadeo Ram, from Darauli, were similarly apprehended.
CPI(ML) Liberation has vehemently condemned these arrests, issuing a statement that described them as “politically motivated.” The party asserted that these detentions, based on “fabricated and baseless charges,” betray the fear and panic among NDA leaders, who, they claim, are threatened by the rising public demand for change in Bihar. They accused the BJP-JD(U) alliance of resorting to “repression, intimidation, and misuse of police and administrative machinery” to stifle democratic opposition and silence dissenting voices, particularly as they struggle to counter growing discontent against their “double-engine” government.
The Bihar Assembly, comprising 243 members, is scheduled for elections in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results to be declared on November 14.