Bernard gives police the slip, reaches Delhi

TURA:

Wanted state BJP vice-president and MDC of Tura Bernard N Marak, who has been avoiding police after a raid on his farmhouse in Tura on Friday night led to the seizure of multiple illegal items including alcohol and contraceptives, has managed to give police the slip and has reached New Delhi.

Bernard was directed to report at the Sadar Police station in Shillong on the night of the raid following the arrest of a large number of revelers, including couples found in compromising positions. He never turned up.

Claiming a threat to his life, the former militant leader disappeared from Shillong and sent a video clip to media houses that he is in Guwahati and was not absconding from the law.

Though the BJP MDC in the GHADC dispatched a late Saturday night letter to Meghalaya DGP L R Bishnoi and West Garo Hills SP V S Rathore, with copies to the media, claiming he was out of station on work and was not absconding and would soon join the investigation, yet, he quietly slipped away boarding an evening flight to Delhi.

“We were tracking his whereabouts and knew he was hiding in Guwahati but before our teams could reach him he had managed to board a 5 PM New Delhi flight on Saturday,” confirmed West Garo Hills police chief when asked by The Meghalayan.

With Bernard Marak failing to turn himself in to the authorities, West Garo Hills police have moved the District Session Court for an arrest warrant against him.

“We are getting the arrest warrant from the court on Monday,” informed SP Rathore.

The police are confident that the elusive saffron leader will have to face the law despite fleeing to the national capital.

SEX WORKERS IDENTIFIED

Meanwhile, police have identified six sex workers from among 26 women arrested during the raid after the arrested caretaker revealed their identities.

“Among the people arrested from the farmhouse on Friday night, six were sex workers who had managed to already obtain bail. We came to know of their identity only after the arrested caretaker revealed during questioning. We are moving for cancellation of their bail,” informed Rathore.

The district police chief said that there is overwhelming evidence about the sex racket that was being operated from the farmhouse with the knowledge of the BJP MDC.

Meanwhile, 40 people were granted bail by the district court in Tura on Sunday. The court granted bail to most of the arrested individuals who were rounded up.

“Those 40 people who were found drinking and not indulging in anything else have been granted bail. But the individuals found in compromising positions or inside the rooms have been remanded to judicial or police custody,” revealed Tura police.