HC rejects bail plea of rape-accused Assam MLA

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Monday rejected an anticipatory bail petition moved on behalf of  AIUDF MLA Gopinath Das, who has been accused of raping his minor domestic help and has been on the run to avoid arrest.
The bail petition was moved in the High Court after the District and Sessions Court of Kamrup had  rejected his bail plea last week. The High Court fixed September 22 as the next date of hearing and  asked the investigating agency to submit the case diary in respect of the case that was filed against the MLA in Boko police station of Kamrup district.
Meanwhile, police’s attempts to contact the MLA who has not responded to summons issued to him,  have failed. Raids were carried out by police at Das’ official residence, his private residence here  and residences of some of his family members and friends.
The MLA represents Boko constituency in Assam assembly. The victim maid also hails from his constituency where people have launched an agitation demanding the arrest of the MLA.
The 14-year-old maid had accused him of raping her inside his moving car in the last week of August in  the FIR filed in Boko police station. The ‘tormented’ girl had fled Das’ Guwahati residence on  September 5 last and lodged a police complaint at Boko, along with her parents, against the legislator  the next day.
Das had initially claimed before the media that the allegations were fabricated and part of a political  conspiracy against him but later he went untraceable. Another minor maid was later rescued by police  and persons from Childline from his private residence in the city.
The police have registered a case against the MLA on charges of wrongfully confining a minor girl and  also a case under the POCSO Act.
The case has been registered under Section 343 of the IPC, read with Sections 4 and 5 of POCSO Act  against the MLA.
While Section 343 of the IPC refers to wrongful confinement of a person, Section 4 of POCSO Act refers  to penetrative sexual assault, a crime that may lead to imprisonment of up to seven years. Section 8 of  POCSO Act on the other hand leads to imprisonment of up to five years.