Patna, June 18 : A team of Purnea police reached the official residence of former MLA Bima Bharti in Patna on Tuesday in search of her son Raja Kumar for his alleged involvement in a murder case.

Raja Kumar is accused of giving a contract of Rs 5 lakh to two henchmen for the murder of a trader in Purnea named Gopal Yaduka (55), who was shot dead on June 2.

The attackers entered Yaduka's shop and shot him from close range in broad daylight.

Bima Bharti is a five-time MLA who joined the RJD in April this year after quitting the JD-U. She also unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Purnea against Independent candidate Pappu Yadav.

The police have so far arrested three persons in connection with the case who have been identified as Brijesh Kumar Yadav, Vikas Kumar Yadav, and a property dealer named Sanjay Bhagat. During interrogation, the accused revealed the name of Raja Kumar.

'The shooter fixed a deal with Raja Kumar for Rs 5 lakh to kill Yaduka. All the accused will be arrested soon,' said Sanjeev Goldy, SDPO of Dhamdaha Range in Purnea.

Meanwhile, Bima Bharti said the entire incident was politically motivated.

'The government is deliberately framing my son in a murder case. During the Lok Sabha elections, the police arrested my 18-year-old son in an Arms Act case and put him in jail. He got bail just one week before the elections. They are again doing the same now,' Bima Bharti said.

She also claimed that the police team that visited her house did not have a warrant.

/IANS