Patna, Dec. 16: The prime suspect in the daylight murder of Lakhisarai-based RTI activist Ram Bilas Singh was arrested today from Nawada district. The accused, Sanjiv Pandey, was hiding in a relative’s house at Dehgaon village.

A resident of Babhangama village under Lakhisarai block, 59-year-old Singh was shot dead while attending the last rites of a co-villager on December 8. The kin of the deceased had named three persons Rakesh Singh, Dilkhush Singh and Sanjay Pandey as accused. Sanjiv was not named in the FIR.

Acting on a tip off, a joint police team of Nawada and Lakhisarai districts conducted a raid at Dehgaon village under Jashichak police station in Nawada and arrested Sanjiv. Nawada superintendent of police (SP) P.K. Das told The Telegraph that an intensive raid was conducted at the village following information that Sanjiv was hiding in his relative’s house.

“We swung into action and apprehended the accused. He was handed over to the Lakhisarai police after legal formalities,” the SP said, adding that no criminal case was pending against Sanjiv in Nawada district.

Sanjiv, who confessed to his crime, told the interrogators that Singh’s murder was the fallout of a dispute over panchayat election held earlier this year. The deceased was a member of the panchayat committee.

During interrogation, Sanjiv said Singh had vehemently opposed the compromise reached between him (Sanjiv) and the complainant of a kidnapping case in which he (Sanjiv) was made an accused. “We tried to persuade Singh not to intervene, but the latter refused to budge,” he said.

Sanjiv said Roshan Singh, a relative of Rakesh, and Dilkhush, opened fire at Singh, killing him on the spot. Roshan, a resident of Jamui district, fired at Singh to avenge the defeat of Rakesh’s wife in the panchayat election.