A petition was filed in a court in Nalanda district's Biharsharif on Wednesday seeking anticipatory bail for suspended RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Prasad, who is accused of kidnapping and raping a minor girl at his Nawada residence on February 6.

Raj Ballabh is absconding since the incident.

Raj Ballabh's counsel Kamlesh Kumar filed the petition in the court of additional district and sessions judge Rashmi Shikha. Kamlesh told the court that the MLA has been implicated in a false case and the charges against him were baseless.

The counsel contended that the name of the legislator didn't figure either in the FIR lodged by the victim or in the statement of witnesses.

The court fixed February 19 as the date for hearing the petition. It also directed the investigating officer to submit the case diary on the scheduled date.

The sudden development in the court surprised police officers.

"The petition was filed in the court a day after a party (RJD) functionary announced that the MLA would surrender in court on February 18," an investigating officer said.

RJD Nawada district unit president Mahendra Yadav had claimed on Tuesday that Raj Ballabh had been implicated in a false case.

"The MLA is not absconding as the police have been claiming," Mahendra told The Telegraph. "He has gone for some work and will return soon. All charges against him are baseless and the result of a political conspiracy. We stand by him. I have come to know from his family members that he will surrender himself before court on February 18."

The victim was medically examined by a lady doctor a week after the incident, and the report was submitted to the investigating officer on Tuesday. "The medical report will help the accused in getting bail," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

Review meet

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asked police to analyse the crime pattern in districts and ensure effective response immediately. "We are devising an action plan to improve policing. He has asked us to emphasise how to make the system more efficient," director-general of police P.K. Thakur said.

The decision was taken at a marathon eight-hour meeting to review law and order situation across the state.

Nitish also asked the officials to ensure road patrolling in all the districts to check incidents of crime.