Janata Dal-United MLA, who was arrested on Thursday for beating up NDTV reporter Prakash Singh, reportedly threatened to kill the latter after his arrest.

"Jail se hi tumko marwa dunga (I will get you killed from jail)" Anant Singh reportedly told the journalist.

"Anant Singh threatened to kill me and my cameraman Habib Ali from inside the jail," Prakash Singh told rediff.com.

Prakash Singh's family and friends are worried about his safety following the threat to his life from Anant Singh. "We will ask the state government to provide security for him. This threat cannot be taken lightly" said a senior journalist.

Meanwhile, a local court in Patna has sent Anant Singh to judicial custody for 14 days.

The Patna police on Thursday arrested Anant Singh and four of his henchmen for beating up journalists.

MLA Anant Singh and his men beat up Prakash Singh and cameraman Habib Ali and also attacked a group of media persons.

DIG Sunil Kumar said the police have arrested Anant Singh and four others under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code.

"The arrested have been sent to judicial custody," Sunil Kumar said.

Sunil Kumar said that police have also started investigation into the matter. "Only the court can grant him bail now," Sunil Kumar said.

Anant Singh, a JD-U MLA from Mokama and a close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, already has 21 criminal cases pending against him. And he reportedly continues his illegal activities even now.

Singh and Ali were held hostage for two hours and beaten by Anant Singh and his henchmen on Thursday morning.

Soon after news spread, when a group of journalists gathered in front of Anant Singh's official residence, his henchmen abused, threatened and attacked them.

Several journalists sustained injuries and the cameras of two TV channels were damaged.

Large numbers of media persons have been protesting by staging a dharna in Patna demanding immediate action.

Leader of opposition in the Bihar Assembly Rabri Devi joined media persons and demanded the arrest of Anant Singh.

Prakash Singh told rediff.com that he had sought Anant Singh's reaction about his alleged involvement in the rape of a woman. "But he and his henchmen attacked us and beat us mercilessly in his residence, not to talk about abuses," Prakash Singh said.

Only a few days ago, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in his address at a massive rally in Patna said that journalists are being attacked, beaten and threatened.

Lalu said when his party was in rule for 15 years, there was not a single case of attack on media persons. Police were deployed around Anant Singh's house.

No senior police or administration official is ready to talk about this issue. Anant Singh is known as a 'Bahubali'. Some shopkeepers in a market complex in Patna allege Anant Singh forced them to vacate their shops at gunpoint.

In 2004, Anant Singh was seen brandishing an AK-47 in public, but no action was taken against him despite the fact that only security personnel are allowed to carry the assault rifle.