Patna(IANS) : A local court Wednesday granted bail to ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator Anant Singh and six of his associates, all charged with attacking journalists here last week.
“The court granted them bail on the basis of the medical reports of the three injured media persons. The court said though they were arrested under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code, evidences hardly support it,” a source said.
Anant Singh, who is seen as a terror in Bihar and has over two dozen criminal charges against him, was arrested with four of his henchmen for attacking journalists on Nov 1.
The arrests were made five hours after the incident, following a hue and cry by journalists and the opposition.
NDTV journalist Prakash Singh and his cameraman Habib Ali had approached the legislator for his reaction to reports linking him to the rape and murder of a young woman, Reshma Khatoon.
According to the initial report filed by the police, Anant Singh and his supporters had beaten up the two journalists and then attacked several more media persons when they arrived at his residence to protest.
In a letter she sent to Nitish Kumar before her death, Reshma had alleged that Singh, his bodyguard and a local builder had raped her repeatedly. She also said she faced a serious threat to her life.
Reshma’s brother told a local TV channel his sister was raped and killed by Anant Singh. He claimed Singh had told him his sister’s body had been thrown into a thick bush at Patel Nagar.
The state government has already recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged rape and murder of Reshma on the basis of her letter.
Earlier this week, the builder Mukesh Singh and Anant Singh’s bodyguard Bipin Singh were arrested and sent to jail.
Anant Singh, a legislator from Mokama, is considered close to the chief minister. He is known to be a terror in Mokama and neighbouring villages in Patna district.
In 2004, Singh was seen brandishing an AK-47 rifle in public but no action was taken against him. Under the law, only security personnel are allowed to carry the assault rifle.