Tej Pratap Yadav Sent to 14-Day Custody After NEET Protest

Tej Pratap Yadav, a prominent opposition politician and son of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, was arrested and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody on Sunday, July 26, 2026, following his participation in a day of protests in Patna. The arrest came after a statewide shutdown in Bihar organized over the alleged leak of a National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper and recent police action against student activists.

Yadav, the national president of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), was initially detained and later released on Saturday after joining demonstrations near Gandhi Maidan. Police arrested him again late Saturday evening from a shopping mall in central Patna. He was produced before a judicial magistrate early Sunday morning and sent to Beur Central Jail. Officials said the arrest was made in connection with criminal cases registered over incidents of vandalism, arson, and damage to public property reported during the protests.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma stated that Yadav was arrested on charges of rioting and accused of provoking demonstrators. Police allege his presence and actions escalated the protests, resulting in...