Mon Jan 06 19:39:33 UTC 2025: ## Patna Police Arrest Prashant Kishor, Later Released on Unconditional Bail
**Patna, Bihar, January 6, 2025** – Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraj political movement, was arrested early this morning by Patna police for staging an unauthorized protest at Gandhi Maidan. Police arrived at the site near the Bapu statue before dawn and detained Kishor, taking him to AIIMS hospital.
Kishor’s supporters reacted angrily to his arrest, leading to a tense situation as police transported him to an undisclosed location outside Patna, initially to Nauhattapur and then to Fatuhha, where he underwent a medical examination. Jan Suraj maintained that Kishor’s hunger strike would continue.
Police stated the arrest was justified due to Kishor’s defiance of prior warnings and a filed FIR regarding the illegal protest. They also confirmed the detention of several of his supporters.
Later in the day, Kishor appeared in court and was granted bail, initially conditional but later upgraded to unconditional bail around 7 PM. Despite the bail, he was briefly taken to Beur Jail before being released. The police had initially charged him with violating the court order that restricts protests in Gandhi Maidan.
Kishor’s supporters criticized the police action and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, claiming the protest was peaceful and did not disrupt traffic. They alleged police brutality against students participating in the protest, which was focused on students’ issues.
Reactions to the arrest were sharply divided. AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman condemned the arrest, accusing the Bihar government of heavy-handed tactics and suppressing dissent. In contrast, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan defended the arrest, citing a 2015 Patna High Court order prohibiting protests at Gandhi Maidan and stating that the action was taken only after warnings were ignored.
The arrest and subsequent release of Prashant Kishor has sparked considerable political controversy in Bihar.
First Piper 