Though no case has been registered so far against the Minister, police said Allan Khan named Fatmi in a confessional statement before an executive magistrate. Police said they were probing the allegations and would question Fatmi after seeking permission from the court.

Earlier, Deputy Mayor Badluzaman ‘Bobby’ Khan had lodged an FIR, stating there was a threat to his life from political rivals, including Allan Khan and others.

Reacting to the allegations, Fatmi, speaking from New Delhi, alleged it was a “conspiracy by the Nitish Kumar government” and a case of political vendetta. “It is a conspiracy by the Nitish Kumar government to defame political rivals. I will decide my future course of action after consultations with party chief Lalu Yadav,” Fatmi said.

Darbhanga Dy SP Pervez Akhtar said that based on intelligence inputs, six persons, including Allan Khan, were arrested for conspiring to kill Bobby Khan. Arms and ammunition were also recovered.

According to Akhtar, Allan Khan, known to be close to Fatmi, confessed that at a meeting of some ward councillors, Fatmi described Bobby Khan as a thorn in his path and wanted him eliminated.

Allan Khan, Akhtar said, has criminal antecedents and his name figures in at least two murder cases. “Investigations to verify the allegations levelled by Allan are on. We will also question the Minister after securing permission from the court,” Akhtar said.

Asked about his political rivalry with Fatmi, Bobby Khan claimed he was elected Deputy Mayor despite efforts by the Minister to get him defeated. “Since then he sees me as a political threat,” he said, adding that Fatmi had earlier asked him not to contest. “I went against his wishes and won. He couldn’t tolerate this,” Khan said.