The Meghalaya Police today took custody of BJP vice-president Bernard N. Marak from the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Marak, who is accused of running a ‘brothel’ at his farmhouse ‘Rimpu Bagan’ in Edenbari, Tura, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police yesterday from Pilkhuwa town in Hapur district.
According to sources, the police in Pilkhuwa with the help of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Marak near a toll plaza at the Ghaziabad border yesterday following a look-out notice issued against him by the Meghalaya Police.
A team of Meghalaya Police reached the Pilkhuwa police station today and took Marak back to Tura after completing all formalities related to transit remand.
Marak who is also the member of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) had been absconding after police raided his farmhouse on July 22. Six minors were rescued and 73 persons were arrested during the raid.
Police also claimed they recovered a huge quantity of liquor, around 500 packets of contraceptives, cell phones and incriminating documents during the raid.
A case was registered against Marak under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. On July 25, the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Tura had issued a non-bailable warrant against the Tura MDC.
Meanwhile, the West Garo Hills district administration has today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the farmhouse owned by Marak in Tura. The inquiry will be conducted by the executive magistrate Rezia Ch Sangma.
The inquiry report shall be submitted to the district magistrate Swapnil Tembe within 15 days.
According to the order, the inquiry will verify whether Marak is the actual legal owner of the property named Rimpu Bagan and whether the requisite permission from the competent authority was obtained from the concerned department for running such an establishment.
Further, the inquiry will ascertain if the maps of the building constructed in Rimpu Bagan are legal and approved by the concerned department and whether the electricity and water connections in the farmhouse are legal and whether the electricity and water bills have been paid.
The inquiry will also look as to whether any license was issued against the owner of the farmhouse for selling liquor and running canteen and whether any inspection of the canteen was done and food safety certificate was issued.
Another aspect of the inquiry is whether permission from the competent authority was obtained for keeping minors in the farmhouse and whether any permission has been obtained in the past related to any party or event being held in the Rimpu Bagan.
