SHILLONG:
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state vice president and Tura MDC Bernard N Marak, on July 23, categorically denied running a brothel at his private farmhouse Rimpu Bagan and alleged that the police raid was conducted without warrant at the instruction of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma,
He also questioned the timing of the raid conducted on Friday evening with regard to a POCSO case registered in February this year.
“Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has made things very personal by asking the police department to link yesterday’s raid with some POCSO case in February because I was always cooperating with any investigation and we’re never absconding. Why should that case be linked to yesterday’s raid now?” Marak said in a statement issued on Saturday.
“A pre-meditated raid was conducted in my private farmhouse and later at my mom’s house and all allegations are targeted to arrest me with fabricated allegations. The raid was conducted without warrant at the instruction of the Chief Minister wherein all the state machinery has been abused by the CM,” he added.
Marak said that he was shocked to see the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police present during the raid which was conducted without warrant.
“In normal circumstances, it’s the excise department which conducts such raids…All protocols are violated at will. It’s my private property and it stands outside the municipal area,” he said.
Admitting that it is true there is no license since he is a tribal, Marak, however, rejected the allegation of running a brothel and claimed that none of those detained were involved in any indecent activities.
He further claimed that the police trespassed and harassed the minor students whom he was sponsoring to study and accusing them to be involved in sexual activities is bad.