JD(U) MLA Anant Singh sent to jail for assaulting scribes

Patna, Nov 1 (UNI) Ruling JD(U) MLA Anant Singh was today arrested for assaulting and keeping hostage three journalists who had sought his comments regarding the murder of a woman who had levelled allegations of rape against him.

Singh was later produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Raghavendra Prasad Singh who remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

Earlier in the day, the MLA from Mokameh and his bodyguards had attacked scribes who had gone to meet him at his official residence to seek his comments on the recovery of the dead body of a woman.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Patna range, Sunil Kumar said Singh along with four others was arrested for assaulting and keeping the scribes hostage for a few hours.

Singh's bodyguards had thrown stones and beaten up the journalists. The high-voltage drama involving the MLA, popular as''Chhote Sarkar'' and considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, continued for more than three hours after which senior Police Superintendent Kundan Krishnan rushed to the spot and rescued the scribes.

An FIR was lodged at the Sachiwalaya police station in which Singh, his two bodyguards Mukesh Singh and Vipin Singh and 24 others were accused of assulting the scribes.

Apart from attempt to murder, the MLA has been booked under the Arms Act. He was taken to the Beur Central jail from the court amid tight security. Both the security guards were absconding.

Meanwhile Singh's supporters again attacked mediapersons who had gathered near the Beur jail when he was being taken there. They pelted stones at the scribes and damaged the lens of some of the electronic media.

In separate statements here, almost the entire Opposition condemned the assault and called for a 12-hour statewide bandh with an appeal to ''save the fourth pillar of democracy from the onslaught of criminal elements under the alleged patronage of the NDA government''.

Former Bihar Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Rabri Devi announced that the RJD would enforce the bandh across the state.

''The law and order situation in Bihar during the Nitish Kumar regime has touched rockbottom and even the journalists are not being spared by the goons enjoying patronage of the NDA government,'' she said.

UNI