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Bihar STF arrests Pandav Sena leader Sanjay Singh from Patna Junction after a year-long manhunt
June 30, 2026: Sanjay Singh, the alleged leader of the private militia Pandav Sena, was arrested by the Bihar Special Task Force (STF) from Patna Junction on Tuesday morning. Police said Singh, who faces 27 criminal cases involving murder, extortion, abduction, and Arms Act violations, had been evading arrest for nearly a year in connection with a case involving the recovery of an AK-47 assault rifle, a .315 bore rifle, and live ammunition. The Pandav Sena, formed in the 1990s, has long been associated with illegal sand mining and violent criminal activities across central Bihar.
According to police, Singh was wanted in a case registered at Bihta Police Station in August 2025, where he and his associates were accused of extorting money from sand-laden boats operating in the riverine areas of Saran, Bhojpur, and Patna districts. During a raid, police arrested 14 of his associates and recovered sophisticated firearms and over 120 live cartridges. Bihar STF officials also linked Singh to several high-profile murders, including the 2022 killings of hotel operator Abhiram Sharma, his nephew Dinesh Sharma, and the brothers of former BJP MLA Chitranjan Kumar Sharma. Investigators alleged that Singh conspired to eliminate the victims as part of ongoing criminal rivalries.
Police said Singh had previously been arrested in Ranchi with weapons, ammunition, mobile phones, and electronic devices before being sent to jail. A resident of Neema village in Patna district, he is believed to have formed the Pandav Sena after splitting from the notorious Ranvir Sena. The gang remained active across Jehanabad, Arwal, Patna Rural, Gaya, Nalanda, and Purnea during the early 2000s. Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikey K. Sharma confirmed that Singh will now be taken on police remand for further interrogation in the AK-47 recovery case as investigators continue probing his alleged criminal network.