SHILLONG, July 25: A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against ‘absconding’ Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard R Marak, accused of running a brothel at his farmhouse – Rimpu Bagan – at Edenbari.
The warrant was issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate MK Lyngdoh on Monday.
“A non-bailable warrant of arrest has been issued against Bernard N Marak alias Rimpu. It is a standing warrant issued by the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Tura,” West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore said.
“We are in contact with Delhi police to help us trace Bernard Marak and bring him here for further investigation,” the district police chief said.
However, in a video statement on Monday, Marak refuted the allegations and said, “All these are cooked-up charges. I did not run a brothel or a prostitution racket… I am not on the run.”
Marak also claimed that he had gone to Delhi to meet party leaders to apprise them of the ‘political conspiracy’ against him.
Marak claimed that he was not resisting arrest but merely trying to evade police who, he alleged, were trying to eliminate him.
He said he had to leave Shillong since “the IGP (Law and Order) tried to raid me and there is a conspiracy to gun me down”.
Marak continued: “The BJP is growing in the hill areas and in the Christian-dominated areas… Our raising of corruption issues has helped us to grow and this has become a threat to our coalition partner NPP and so I am a personal threat to the Chief Minister,” he added.
Rathore rubbished Marak’s claim and said, “These are plans to evade an arrest.”
The SP also dismissed Marak’s claim that the minors were from underprivileged families and that he was merely taking care of their welfare, looking after their education and other immediate needs.
“If the kids were taken care of, why were they kept in a locked room? We had to break a wall to get in. The room had no ventilation and seemed to have not been cleaned for years,” Rathore stated.
Asked if the kids were sexually abused, the police official said the Child Welfare Committee was counselling them.
Police have claimed that on the night of the raid on Friday, Marak had been asked to surrender before Sadar police station in Shillong, but the former militant leader escaped to Guwahati and went into hiding.
By the time police learnt of his whereabouts, he had boarded a late evening flight to Delhi on Sunday, police said.
Arrest warrant
Earlier, while issuing the arrest warrant, Chief Judicial Magistrate MK Lyngdoh said that Investigating Officer (IO) M Hajong had submitted a prayer for issuance of non-bailable warrant of arrest against Bernard N Marak.
“The IO has stated that on July 22 a raid was conducted at Rimpu Bagan at Edenbari in the farmhouse of Bernard N Marak alias Rimpu and during the raid the arrested accused persons were caught inside the rooms and on the premises of Rimpu Bagan as couples and some of them were not husband and wife. One couple – Noringra K Sangma and Talsan Ch Momin – was found inside a vehicle in a compromising manner and some of them came for liquor and to celebrate party inside the farm house at Rimpu Bagan.
“During the course of investigation, it was revealed that one child in conflict with law (CCL), aged 15 years, was found along with her friends Edman D Sangma, Manrik B Marak, Melborne Marak, Sourav Jyoti Newar and Ranima Ch Sangma on the premises of Rimpu Bagan. In this connection, the CCL was sent to the Observation Home (Girls) for two days and the date of production is July 26. The others were arrested and sent to five days in police custody,” the order states.
“The IO has also stated in her prayer that another case was also registered at Tura Women PS under various sections of the POCSO Act against Bernard N Marak. The IO has further stated in her prayer that after the incident at Rimpu Bagan, Bernard N Marak was not found/available in his residence and mostly evading arrest in connection with the case. During the course of investigation it was also revealed that he is the owner of Rimpu Bagan and also the main accused in the case,” the warrant order said.
“As such Bernard N Marak’s arrest is very much important and necessary for the investigation of the case and for the justice of the victims as during the raids five number of minor children were recovered from the building out of which four were boys and one girl and who were living in a small room in a deplorable condition. The children have been handed over to the District Child Protection Unit, Tura for their safety and health.
“The IO has also stated in her prayer that from the said noted facts, it indicates that the accused (Bernard N Marak) has been allowing his premises to be used as a brothel and is earning from the same and has prayed to the Court that a non-bailable warrant of arrest may be issued against Bernard N Marak to make an arrest,” the order says.
“Hence, the prayer of the IO for issuing non-bailable warrant of arrest against the accused person Bernard N Marak is allowed for the interest of the case and interest of investigation,” the CJM’s order adds.