After former MLA Anant Singh was shot indiscriminately, tensions remained high in Mokama town, Bihar. Officials announced Thursday that the Sonu-Monu gang, the case’s main accused, was being sought by the police.

The firing incident took place in the hamlet of Nauranga Jalalpur on Wednesday.

Barh DSP is camping in the hamlet as part of the district police’s increased presence in the region. Due to increased security, Nauranga hamlet has essentially been transformed into a police cantonment.

All of the Sonu-Monu gang members left the location after the event, which raises concerns regarding the identities of Sonu and Monu and their methods of operation in the Mokama region.

The brothers Sonu Singh and Monu Singh are from the hamlet of Jalalpur. Anant Singh, a former MLA, has long been at odds with them. Sonu and Monu’s affiliation with an organization that opposes Anant Singh is the root of the dispute between the two groups. The tense relationship between the brothers and the former MLA apparently improved when Anant Singh was released from prison. But on Wednesday, a case of indiscriminate fire escalated emotions, changing the course of events.

It is thought that disagreements about local dominance are related to the most recent altercation. About 15 years ago, Sonu and Monu, who live in Jalalpur hamlet under Panchmahala OP (Marachi police station), were involved in criminal activity after robbing trains. They eventually gained notoriety in the area and were strongly associated with Mukhtar Ansari, the powerful guy in Uttar Pradesh. Like the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, both brothers have been putting effort into establishing their own criminal organization.

In the past, Sonu and Monu were an essential component of Mukhtar Ansari’s network. Monu Singh reportedly received a Rs 50 lakh contract in 2017 to remove Anant Singh, a former MLA.

The brothers started hosting “darbars,” or unofficial courts, in their community to increase their power. The brothers’ image as problem solvers was enhanced by the attendance of these gatherings, which drew individuals whose complaints had not been addressed by local authorities. Sonu and Monu broadened their influence by establishing relationships with powerful people, or “white-collar” people. They apparently gained such widespread influence that authorities and staff at the zonal and Mokama block offices promptly agreed with their requests.

They pretended to be social workers, but their underlying motivations were evil. They turned unlawful operations into a second career by becoming heavily engaged in criminal actions behind the scenes, such as robbery, murder, and looting.

Locals began to see them as “heroic” over time, but their expanding criminal enterprise remained hidden. Sonu and Monu entered local politics after realizing the importance of political power. They were successful in electing their sister as the Nauranga Jalalpur Panchayat’s Mukhiya. She was disqualified after a complaint about inaccuracies in her affidavit, therefore her term was brief.

The Sonu-Monu gangs plotted to assassinate Guddu Singh, a panchayat-level politician, when he attempted to run a family member in the Mukhiya (village head) by-election. When Guddu Singh appeared in court from Barh prison, they hired infamous Manoj Singh of Naubatpur to carry out the scheme. The Sonu-Monu gang assaulted Guddu Singh at a court hearing when he was serving a prison sentence in a criminal case. Following this case, the murder case was filed against Sonu, Monu, their father, and their sister.

The brothers are the subject of many Mokama GRP cases, all of which are connected to rail robbery. After a weapons recovery case in Patna’s Agamkuan police station area, Monu spent many months in Beur prison. More than a dozen major charges have been filed against both brothers, including many police stations from Jharkhand to Lakhisarai.

Because their illegal operations are so well-planned, it is often difficult for law authorities to get evidence or track them down. Because of their fame, Sonu and Monu are now feared and powerful individuals in the Mokama area. However, in light of the latest incident involving former MLA Anant Singh, their criminal enterprise is being scrutinized. As authorities double up their attempts to find the brothers, they are still at large.