Police has demanded a reward of Rs 3 lakh in the murder case of BJP leader Uma Bhujan Taanti alias Pappu Taanti in Bhagalpur. Police said, main investigator Akshay Yadav and alleged leader Suman Kumar have been arrested in this case. Former councilor and BJP leader Shashi Modi has been identified as the main conspirator in the case.
According to the police, at around 10am on September 11, 2026, Pappu Tanti was shot dead near Kuthubganj Kumhara Toli of Babarganj police station. He was riding a bike. At that time the attackers who were on the bike stopped him and opened fire. In a comatose state, he was taken to Jharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, Mayaganj for treatment. There the doctors declared him dead.
After this massacre in Dindupur, a situation of tension and anger was created in the area. Police formed a Special Investigation Team or SIT for investigation and started searching for the accused through nearby CCTV footage and technical surveillance.
As the investigation progresses, the police claimed that the role of the shooter and the liner would come to light. According to the police, the main instigator Akshay Yadav has been arrested from Sitakund area of Munger and the alleged leader Suman Kumar has been arrested from Kuthubganj. Police said that a mobile phone has also been recovered from Suman, through which it is claimed that information was being given about the movement and location of the accused Pappu Tantri at the time of the incident. Police also informed about recovery of weapons from the shooter.
During police interrogation, it was claimed that a bounty of Rs 3 lakh was fixed for the murder of Pappu Tanthi. According to the police, the conspiracy to murder had been going on for a long time and several attempts had been made before to eliminate Pappu. Police claimed that the investigation went on for almost two years and information about three attempts has come to light.
However, detailed information regarding the circumstances of those attempts and who was involved in them will be confirmed through police investigation and further action.
According to the police, old political disputes and conflict of influence at the local level are the main reasons behind the case. Both Pappu Taanti and Shashi Modi were associated with BJP. Shashi Modi was earlier the Mandal President of BJP. Later, after getting a government job, he had to leave the post of Mandal President and then Pappu Taanti got the responsibility of Mandal President. This political background is being linked with the police investigation.
There have been talks of conflict regarding the construction of Kali Mandir in Kutubganj and the control of the construction committee. According to the police, there was a long-standing tension between the two parties over the construction and management of the temple and the spread of influence. Pappu was associated with the temple construction committee and his political and social activism was intense in the area.
As the investigating agencies watched, the conflicts and political opinions regarding the temple committee turned into a murder mechanism.
At the beginning of the incident, the police started investigation keeping in mind several possible angles. Based on the family's statement, an FIR was filed against former councilor Shashi Modi, his nephew Krishna Modi and others. Police searched possible addresses in several areas including Khagaria, Munjheer and Begusarai. With the help of technical surveillance and CCTV footage, efforts are made to identify the movements of the attackers.
After the murder of Pappu Tantri, the police collected evidence from the crime scene. The forensic team also collected necessary samples and other evidence from the crime scene. The footage is seen on the road nearby and from cameras located near the spot. Efforts are made to find out which road the attackers came from and in which direction they fled after firing. During this investigation, the police claimed to have got clues about the alleged murderer and his associates.
After the incident, the family of the deceased raised allegations of old enmity behind the murder. An FIR was filed on behalf of the family by suspecting others including Shashi Modi and Krishna Modi. At that time the police had said that at the moment no concrete evidence has been found regarding the conspiracy of someone close to them and all directions are being investigated. Later, investigation was carried out with the involvement of named accused and alleged murderers.
Shashi Modi, mentioned as the main accused, surrendered in Bhagalpur court on 15 September. After increasing police pressure, the news of his surrender in the court came to light. Before this, his wife Deepika Kumari was arrested and sent to jail. Police are now searching for Krishna Modi, who is said to be absconding, and other possible associates.
The investigation is now trying to find out who played the role in giving the order for the murder and carrying it out. How the alleged three lakh rupees were given, to whom it was given and how many times the accused contacted each other during the planning of the murder, all those matters are under investigation. Mobile call details, location related information and digital evidence can be important in viewing this link.
According to the police, the liner's role is important in the investigation. In this case, the police informed about the recovery of mobile phone from Suman Kumar and claimed that through that, information was being given about the location and movements of the accused Pappu Tantri at the time of the incident. The police are now watching, gave instructions to Suman and who was in touch with him.
Police said, pistol and other weapons have been recovered from the shooter. Forensic examination of these weapons can help in determining whether they were used in a murder or not. The weapons recovered along with forensic evidence collected from the crime scene can also be part of the investigation.
After the murder of Pappu Tantri, leaders of various political parties including BJP condemned the incident. It has been mentioned that Pappu Taanti was a worker associated with the party's activities for a long time. He was the President of Shri Narayan Sah Mandal and earlier also he was active in the organizational work of BJP. Information about his old political connections and activities in the area has come to light in the investigation.
The police are now limiting the investigation to only those accused of firing. It remains to be seen when the murder was planned, how many people were involved in it, who contacted the murderers, who decided the role of the liner and how the alleged sum of three lakh rupees was transacted.
The police investigation in the case is still going on and further legal proceedings will take place in the court against the accused. The role of an accused will be finally determined based on the decision of the court. Currently, as per the police claim, Shashi Modi has been mentioned as the alleged chief conspirator, Akshay Yadav as the chief conspirator and Suman Kumar as the alleged commander.
Police said that more information regarding the conspiracy can be obtained after the arrest of the accused. The alleged bounty of three lakh rupees in the Pappu Tanti murder case is a long-running conspiracy, an earlier attempt and the main link in the investigation of the September 11 shootings. Police said, investigation is going on to arrest the accused and further legal action will be taken on the basis of information obtained from coroner's investigation, forensics, CCTV, mobile data and interrogation of the accused.