TURA:
Arrested BJP vice-president and Tura MDC Bernard N Marak received a temporary respite on Wednesday after the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Tura, allowed him 14-day judicial custody in connection with the case of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, but the remand was short-lived as the court simultaneously granted police permission to arrest him in a second case connected to recovery of explosives from his farmhouse.
Bernard has been IN police custody for the past 14 days — initially eight days after his arrest from Uttar Pradesh and subsequently extended by six more days — and his police custody was to come to an end on Wednesday.
His first police custody was in connection with Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act and pertained to police investigation of a minor’s alleged rape at his farmhouse in February.
Late into the night, Bernard was granted judicial custody by the chief judicial magistrate’s court and taken to Tura district Jail where police placed him under arrest for the second time in connection with the seizure of a large consignment of explosive gelatine sticks that had been recovered during the raid at his farmhouse in July.
The second arrest of the BJP leader comes after the CJM court allowed the investigating officer of Tura police station to arrest him in the instant case related to Explosive Substances Act.
“He is being arrested from Tura jail and will be produced in court tomorrow,” informed West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore.
Speaking to The Meghalayan the SP said that police will move the court on Thursday for 15 days’ custody of the BJP leader.