The Chief Judicial Magistrate also ordered release of six of his associates, who were booked under the same offence.

The unsavoury incident, in which three scribes from electronic media were roughed up mercilessly by the legislator and his goons on November 1, took place when the journalists had gone to Anant’s residence to record his version in the rape and murder case of a girl, Reshma.

The muscleman-turned-MLA of the ruling party and his henchmen not only thrashed the TV journalists and cameramen, but gave a hot chase to those waiting outside his residence. After a hue and cry was raised over the episode, Anant was arrested and produced before the CJM, who remanded him to judicial custody.

Body not Reshma’s

The case, however, took a U-turn on Monday, when the police claimed that the body of Reshma found in Patna, was actually that of Kajal, who worked in a local beauty parlour. After the so-called ‘family’ of Kajal identified the body, the police disposed of the corpse at the electric crematorium.

The police action came close on the heels of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announcing CBI probe into incident.

The Opposition parties, however, smelt a rat and accused the Patna police of trying to shield Anant, who is said to be close to the powers-that-be.

“By disposing of the body, the police have destroyed the evidence and is now trying to sweep the matter under the carpet,” alleged former Law minister in the RJD regime, Shakeel Ahmad Khan. The JD (U), however, remained unfazed over the charge made by the RJD.

“A corpse was used to destabilize the duly-elected government of Nitish Kumar. Very soon the police will unravel the truth how the RJD had hatched a plot and used media as a tool to topple the Bihar Government,” JD (U) national spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari told Deccan Herald on Wednesday.