Patna, April 22 (Inditop) Filmmaker and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidate Prakash Jha was Wednesday arrested and subsequently released after the Bihar police recovered Rs.10.25 lakh in cash following reports that he was distributing money to voters in his West Champaran constituency.

Jha was arrested along with more than 50 people, mostly party workers and supporters, in the district headquarters of West Champaran Bettiah, about 200 km from here.

West Champaran Superintendent of Police K.S. Anupam said the money was recovered after a police team raided the guesthouse.

Jha denied that the money was meant for distribution among the voters to influence them a day ahead of the polls Thursday.

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan in Patna criticised the state government led by his Janata Dal-United rival Nitish Kumar for conducting raids to harass his party nominee.

“I never expected this kind of vendetta; this is to target our candidate,” he said.

Jha is pitted against Sadhu Yadav, a Congress nominee and brother-in-law of Railways Minister Lalu Prasad who quit the Rashtriya Janata Dal after he was denied a ticket. Sadhu Yadav’s office was also raided and three people arrested.