Pappu Yadav claims suspicious man did recce of his house in Bihar's Madhepura

Patna: Independent MP Pappu Yadav expressed concerns over a new incident on Sunday, a day after the Purnea Police arrested a man allegedly involved in threats issued against him.

He claimed that a suspicious individual conducted surveillance, or "recce," of his native residence in Khurd village, located in Bihar’s Madhepura district, on Friday night. This surveillance was reportedly captured on video, which has since circulated publicly.

Yadav mentioned that he and his office-bearers have been receiving consistent threats since October 14, with messages warning of “dire consequences” sent to him. People who are threatening him claim they are present in Purnea and Jharkhand. Despite these threats, Yadav, currently involved in campaigning for the Jharkhand Assembly elections, stated his resolve to continue his work unshaken.

He also plans to move to Maharashtra to campaign further.

Pappu Yadav’s remarks raise concerns over the potential influence of political power that allows criminals to make the threatening calls he has been receiving.

“These threats might be occurring with the implicit or explicit protection of influential political groups, potentially even elements within the ruling party. They use selective enforcement practices, such as the use of bulldozers against criminals based on caste,” Yadav said. He also drew a pattern of discrimination and protection for some individuals.

Yadav highlighted two high-profile cases to underscore his point: “The death of Sushant Singh Rajput in Mumbai which I believe was a murder and the murder of Karni Sena chief's case in Rajasthan, both occurring under “double-engine” governments -- where the same political party is in power at both state and central levels.”

Yadav suggests that both cases reflect failures of the government to deliver justice, despite the support the Karni Sena, a Rajput community organisation, has shown for the BJP.

“Neither justice nor public statements in support of these families have materialised, calling into question the political will to address such cases fairly and transparently,” he said.

In regard to the specific investigation of threats against him, Yadav expressed gratitude towards Purnea SP Kartikeya Sharma for initiating a probe into the phone numbers linked to the threatening calls.

However, he has demanded action against individuals allegedly orchestrating these threats, including a man named Mayank Singh, who he claims is making threatening calls to him from Malaysia.

He pointed out that enforcing the law without bias should be the highest priority and that those tampering with legal safeguards, such as manipulating jail jammers to allow illicit calls, must be held accountable.

Yadav’s comments reflect frustration with what he perceives as selective justice and a lack of accountability.

Earlier on Saturday, Purnea SP Kartikeya Sharma confirmed that Mahesh Pandey, the man behind the threats against Pappu Yadav, was taken into custody in Delhi.

Pandey allegedly made the calls in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi gang and used a SIM card obtained during a recent trip to Dubai, where he reportedly visited his sister-in-law. This detail has raised questions from Yadav, who finds it suspicious that someone would use a family member’s foreign SIM card to make such threatening calls.

Yadav has since demanded a deeper investigation, hinting at potential layers of influence or involvement that could complicate the case.

After the murder of NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai, Pappu Yadav uploaded a post on social media and said if the laws allow him, he would destroy the network of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in 24 hours.

Following his post, he received multiple threatening calls and messages. The office of Pappu Yadav shared evidence supporting the threats he received, including seven voice-recorded calls, four screenshots of WhatsApp call logs with pictures of Lawrence Bishnoi, and a press statement by Mayank Singh who is also said to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The caller also said that Lawrence Bishnoi called Pappu Yadav after getting the jammer of Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad switched off for 10 minutes but he did not pick up the phone.

However, after the threat, Pappu Yadav’s tone has also changed and he said that whether they intend to kill actor Salman Khan or anyone else, is not his concern and is ultimately the responsibility of the government to address.

In a Facebook live session on Friday, Yadav expressed his frustrations, underscoring that the issue was not about Hindu-Muslim conflicts and reiterating that he has no involvement with anyone’s personal matters, including any potential threats to Salman Khan. He conveyed a sense of resignation mixed with defiance, remarking, “Whether Salman has to be saved or not is the responsibility of the government."