The ghosts of Anara Gupta's recent past were finally exorcised Friday when police withdrew all cases against her and the government admitted that there was no prima facie evidence against the former beauty queen.

In a dramatic turn of events, Jammu Police, which had arrested her for allegedly appearing in a porn video, withdrew all cases against the former Miss Jammu.

In his report to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Friday, Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi sought permission on behalf of the police to withdraw the cases.

He also admitted before a division bench comprising Chief Justice S.N. Jha and S.K. Gupta that there was no prima facie evidence against Anara, whose name had been cleared by a forensic laboratory that said it wasn't her in the video at all.

Sethi, however, contested Anara's allegation that she had been kept in illegal confinement.

"She was not kept in illegal confinement. She was just summoned for questioning," he said.

Police withdraws all cases against Anara.

The judges wanted to know what action would be taken against police officials responsible for her torture and illegal confinement and how she would be compensated for that.

Anara had demanded a compensation of Rs.10 million from the police for mentally and physically tormenting her and also keeping her in illegal confinement.

The court has now fixed the hearing for Feb 17.

Anara, who won the title of Jammu's beauty queen in 2001, was picked up by the state police on Oct 24 last year. She was kept in custody for nine days without charges being framed during which she confessed to her role in the porn video. But her innocence was proved when the CD sent for forensic examination to Hyderabad revealed on Jan 5 that it was not her at all in the film.

The laboratory report put the police in a tight spot, with national newspapers questioning how she could have been implicated in the sex scandal.

A senior police official said all those behind the case had brought ignominy to the state police and would face severe punishment.

Five police officials, including an additional superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police and a station house officer, have already been placed under suspension.

Said 18-year-old Anara's mother Raj Rani: "This had to happen because there was no case against my daughter at all."