Patna, May 19 (IANS) Bihar Cooperatives Minister Ramadhar Singh, who has a criminal case pending against him, resigned from his post Thursday after the opposition demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sack him.

 
 Sources close to Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, Thursday said he had sent his resignation to Nitish Kumar, who is currently in New Delhi.
 
 "Singh had faxed his resignation to Nitish Kumar who is likely to accept it after his return to Patna," a leader close to Singh said.
 
 Singh was declared an absconder by a court in Aurangabad district in May 1995 after he repeatedly failed to appear before it. The case registered against him by Aurangabad district administration Dec 17, 1992 after demolition of the Babri mosque relates to giving an inflammatory speech against the minority community.
 
 The court had also ordered attachment of the minister's properties in 1995 and issued a non-bailable warrant against him in the case, police said.
 
 Two days ago, Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddique demanded that Nitish Kumar sack  Singh, a tainted minister.
 
 Siddique said Singh had concealed the cases against him in his affidavit while filing his nomination from Aurangabad assembly seat in the 2010 polls that he won on a BJP ticket.
 
 Singh had denied the charge repeatedly saying he was not absconding, but admitted he was out on bail.