BJP leader started sex racket: Bernard N Marak, a BJP leader from Meghalaya, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly running a sex racket at his farmhouse in Uttar Pradesh, a senior police officer said.
Marak, who was earlier a militant leader, is absconding after a raid on his farmhouse at Tura in West Garo Hills district of the state. A total of six minors were rescued and 73 people arrested in connection with the case on Saturday.
“Bernard N Marak alias Rimpu has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh. A team is being sent to bring him to Tura,” District Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh told PTI.
Singh said that hours after officials in Meghalaya issued a lookout notice against him, the UP police arrested Marak from Hapur district.
Look out notice is issued to ensure that the desired person is not able to leave the country. A court in Tura had on Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the BJP leader.
The BJP is part of the state’s ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s NPP. Police said the BJP vice-president was directed to cooperate in the investigation and surrender at Shillong Sadar police station but he was evading arrest.
Terrorist-turned-politician Marak has claimed that he is innocent and alleged that he is a target of political vendetta by the chief minister and fears for his life.
State BJP also supported his claim. Dismissing the allegation, Deputy Chief Minister Preston Tynsong said the government allows the police to act according to their intelligence.
“The law is the law of any party and whether it is part of the government or not. Unpleasant things have happened and we will let the law take its course,” Tynsong said.
Police had earlier said that they rescued the minors based on a tip-off and seized hundreds of liquor bottles and condoms, dozens of cars from the farmhouse ‘Rimpu Bagan’.
Marak is facing charges under various sections of the IPC and the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956. He has over 25 criminal cases registered against him in the north-eastern state since the early 2000s.
Bernard N. Marak was the president of the now-disbanded armed rebel group ANVC(B), a separate faction of the Achik National Volunteer Council, before he joined the BJP and won the tribal council election from Tura.
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