SHILLONG, July 27: The West Garo Hills administration on Wednesday ordered a magisterial probe to determine the irregularities at a farmhouse allegedly used as a brothel by state BJP vice-president Bernard Marak.
The police had raided the 30-room farmhouse on July 22 and arrested 73 persons, including 23 women besides rescuing five minors who were reportedly kept in an unhygienic condition.
Executive magistrate and extra assistant commissioner, Rezia Ch. Sangma has been asked to undertake the inquiry and submit a report within 15 days, the order issued by West Garo Hills district magistrate Swapnil Tembe said.
Sangma has been asked to determine whether Marak is the legal owner of the property named Rimpu Bagan at Edenbari.
The magisterial inquiry will ascertain whether the requisite permission was obtained from the department concerned for running such an establishment, whether the maps of the building constructed at Rimpu Bagan are legal and whether they were approved by the department concerned.
The inquiry will also determine whether the electricity connection to Rimpu Bagan is legal and whether the electricity bills have been paid besides finding out whether the water connection at the farmhouse is legal and bills paid for.
The inquiry will further try to establish whether any licence was issued against the owner of the premises for selling liquor and for running a canteen and whether any inspection of the canteen was done and a food safety certificate was issued or not.
The order also stated that the inquiry will determine whether permission from the competent authority was obtained for keeping minors on the premises as they were allegedly being used as child labourers and whether any permission has been obtained in the past related to any party or event being held at Rimpu Bagan.
The Meghalaya Police on Wednesday took custody of Marak, who is accused of running a sex racket at his farmhouse, a day after he was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur. He was produced before a local court in Hapur which granted two days’ transit remand.
It was learnt that the police are taking him to New Delhi by road from where Marak will be flown to Guwahati and then to Tura for further legal action.
