A Patna court ordered Tej Pratap Yadav into 14 days of judicial custody on Saturday [1].
The arrest of the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief marks a significant escalation in the unrest surrounding the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. As the son of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, his detention highlights the high-profile political friction resulting from the Bihar Bandh protests.
Police arrested Yadav shortly after midnight on July 26, 2026 [1]. Reports regarding the exact location of the arrest vary, with some sources saying he was detained at a mall in Patna while others say he was taken into custody after joining students at Gandhi Maidan [2, 3]. Following the arrest, authorities took him to multiple police stations before presenting him before the court [2].
The first information report (FIR) lists five specific offenses against Yadav [1]. These charges include rioting, attacking police personnel, and obstructing public servants. Additionally, the FIR says that Yadav damaged a police vehicle and caused injuries to the station house officer [1].
The judicial custody order comes amid widespread anger over the integrity of the NEET-UG examinations. The Bihar Bandh was organized to demand transparency and accountability regarding the suspected leaks, which led to clashes between protesters and law enforcement across the state.
Legal representatives for Yadav have raised questions regarding the details of the FIR and the circumstances of the arrest [3]. The court's decision to remand him for 14 days [1] ensures he remains in custody while the investigation into the violence continues.
“Tej Pratap Yadav was ordered into 14 days of judicial custody by a Patna court.”
The detention of a prominent political figure like Tej Pratap Yadav suggests that the state government is taking a hardline approach to the NEET-UG protests. By applying charges of rioting and attacking officers, authorities are framing the unrest not as a student grievance, but as a criminal disruption of public order, potentially deterring other political leaders from joining street protests.
