Janshakti Janta Dal (JJD) chief and former minister Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, has landed in legal trouble after police registered a case against him for allegedly breaching the Model Code of Conduct during his nomination rally in Mahua, Vaishali district.

The case was filed following a complaint lodged by the Circle Officer of Mahua, who cited a viral video showing Tej Pratap’s convoy using an SUV fitted with a beacon light and a police insignia. The video, reportedly from October 16, captured the leader leading a grand procession while heading to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls.

According to an official statement released by Vaishali district police on Sunday, the footage was verified before action was taken. “It was thoroughly examined and found that the police logo and beacon light used on the vehicle were private ones. Therefore, a case was registered for violation of the election code of conduct,” the statement said.

Tej Pratap, who was expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in May this year, formed his own outfit — the Janshakti Janta Dal — soon after his ouster. His expulsion came after a series of controversies, including a now-deleted social media post in which he allegedly admitted to being in a relationship. He later claimed that his account had been “hacked.”

Following his removal from the RJD, Lalu Prasad Yadav publicly distanced himself from his elder son, citing his “irresponsible behaviour.” The fallout deepened rifts within the Yadav family, with Tej Pratap alleging that a “conspiracy” was hatched to separate him from his younger brother and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

In one of his posts on social media platform X, Tej Pratap had referred to the individuals behind the alleged conspiracy as “Jaichands,” a term historically used to describe traitors.