Sex racket busted in building owned by BJP MDC, 5 children rescued, 75 accused in police net

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 23, 2022

West Garo Hills police on Saturday busted a sex racket allegedly operating from a building owned by a BJP leader and Tura MDC Bernard N Marak leading to the arrest of over 75 people and rescuing of five children including a minor girl.

A special operation was launched after a minor girl was allegedly sexually assaulted at Rimpu Bagan owned by Bernard N Marak @ Rimpu who is the member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).

In a statement, the district police chief Vivekanand Singh Rathore informed that the FIR was filed by the victim’s family on February 28, that she was missing from home for one week and on that day, the relatives of the minor traced her along with one suspect and handed over to Tura women police station.

Later, it was ascertained that the minor was sexually assaulted multiple times over one week. Accordingly, a case was registered at Tura woman police station and investigated.

He said during the recording of statement u/s 164 CrPC, the victim girl stated in the court that she and her friend were taken to Rimpu Bagan by the main accused person and one of his friends. They hired one room and sexually assaulted her there multiple times.

He said accordingly, the search team detained around 68 boys and girls for interrogation. Some managed to run away taking advantage of darkness and by running over crushed liquor bottles. The search team also apprehended the manager, caretaker and other three staff.

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The SP further informed that later, the whole premise was searched in presence of independent witnesses and 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, 168268 ml liquor, huge quantities of contraceptives (condoms) and other incriminating materials were recovered.

“From the materials recovered at Rimpu Bagan as well as the design of building etc, it appears that the place was being used by Bernard N Marak @ Rimpu and his accomplices as a “brothel” for the purpose of prostitution,” Rathore said.

Therefore, a case under sections of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956 has been registered and being investigated, he said while informing that all 73 detained persons have been arrested and being forwarded to the court.

The SP informed that the main accused Bernard N Marak was verbally instructed to cooperate with the investigation and surrender himself at Shillong Sadar police station immediately.

“However, he has not cooperated and is evading arrest at the time of issue of this press release. The search operation is continuing,” he said.

The SP further revealed that five children (4 boys and 1 girl) were also found locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms.

All the children were in a state of shock and were unable to speak properly. All these children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for safe custody and further necessary action as per law.

He said apart from the instant case, multiple verbal complaints were being received by respectable residents of Tura town area that many immoral activities are going on at Rimpu Bagan owned by Bernard N Marak.

Stating that the police records indicate that Bernard N Marak is a known criminal with more than 25 criminal cases registered against him since early 2000s, Rathore said this person was the self-styled Chairman of the now disbanded militant outfit named Achik Nationalist Voluntary Council (B) and even after the disbandment of the outfit, he has been indulging in criminal activities like extortion from traders of Tura market, criminal intimidation in case of refusal to pay extortion money, arms smuggling, prostitution, illegal sale of liquor, illegal sale of lottery tickets, teer counters, encroachment on other’s property, illegal collection of money for recommending issue of TNT license etc.

During the operation, he said the search team on arrival at Rimpu Bagan noticed a three storied building (2 floors in basement and 1 floor above ground level) with approximately 30 small rooms.

This building was suspected to be the place where the minor girl was sexually assaulted.

The team also noticed many young boys and girls openly drinking in the premises, inside the rooms as well as inside the vehicles. Some of them were sitting inside the vehicle without clothes or with very less clothes on the body, the SP said.  

Police have seized 27 light motor vehicles, 8 scooty/motorcycle, 1 auto rickshaw, 144 kingfisher beer (650 ml each), 16 tuborg can, 25 white wine, 11 black currant wine, 12 red wine, 12 strawberry wine, 7 banana wine, 9 apple wine, 38 royal stag, 21 signature, 5 black berry breezer, 7 jamaican breezer, 47 mobile phones, 1 crossbow barnett along with telephone, 44 crossbow barnett arrow, 1 kukri with wooden handle and 1 register containing records of the visitors, 1 exercise book containing records of the vehicles of visitors, 1 exercise book of Mikson Sangma with 7 names written, 500 unused contraceptive (condoms) and Rs 30,000.