- NET Web Desk
Explosives impounded from the farmhouse of arrested Meghalaya Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Vice-President – Bernard N Marak on Thursday, will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine the intensity.
According to the District Police chief of West Garo Hills – Vivekanand Singh Rathore, “We will be sending the explosives to determine the intensity of the detonators to the forensic lab.”
The militant-turned-politician was held on Tuesday from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, after nearly six children were rescued and 73 people were apprehended from a farmhouse – ‘Rimpu Bagan’.
Meanwhile, security forces have also confiscated 35 gelatin sticks, 100 detonators apart from four cross bows and 15 arrows from the farmhouse; when a team of District Child Protection Unit and Meghalaya Police had gone to collect the clothes and books of the children, who were rescued from the premises.
A local court has also granted 8-days police custody to Marak, who is also the member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Its worthy to note that recently, the Meghalaya Police raided the farmhouse and rescued six minors – four boys and two girls, from the location.
“They were found locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms at Rimpu Bagan run by Bernard N Marak and his accomplices as a ‘brothel’ for the purpose of prostitution,” – informed the SP, West Garo Hills district.
During the raid, nearly 400 bottles of liquor and over 500 unused condoms were also found.
Besides, 73 people were arrested for their indulgence in such “nefarious acts”, been operated along the farmhouse, which incorporated of 30 small rooms.
It is suspected to be the place where a girl was sexually assaulted, and a case was filed in that regard in February 2022; added Singh.
A case has also been registered against Marak under the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012.
Marak, an elected member of the Garo Tribal Autonomous District Council, in a statement however, attacked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for the raid, and denied the allegations of running a “brothel”.
“The CM is getting desperate as he knows he is losing his South Tura seat to the BJP. The raid at my farmhouse is a desperate attempt by him to malign my image and a political vendetta,” he claimed.
