BJP leader running brothel, say police; accused denies charge

Guwahati: Meghalaya Police on Saturday said it has busted a “brothel” allegedly operating from the farmhouse owned by state BJP vice-president Bernard N Marak Rimpu at Tura in West Garo Hills district and arrested 73 people from the premises.
Superintendent of police VS Rathore, in a statement, said a raid was conducted at the farmhouse on Friday and four boys and one girl were found “locked inside a dingy cabin. “All the children were in a state of shock and were unable to speak properly.
They were handed over to District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for safe custody and further necessary action as per law,” he added.
He further said, “From the materials recovered at Rimpu Began (farmhouse) as well as the design of building, it appears that the pIace was being used by Bernard N Marak Rimpu and his accomplice as a ‘BROTHEL’ for the purpose of prostitution.”
Police added that Marak has been verbally instructed to cooperate with the investigation and surrender at Shillong Sadar police station immediately.
Police said 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, 168268 ml liquor and 500 unused contraceptives (condoms) and other incriminating materials were recovered from the farmhouse. Talking to TOI, Marak dismissed the allegations and said it is a “political conspiracy” by CM Conrad Sangma and his party, NPP, to malign his image before the coming assembly election.
“The police raided my farmhouse without any warrant and then made this false charge that I was using my farmhouse as a brothel. I have been working to strengthen my party in Meghalaya, especially in the Garo Hills, and people have accepted BJP as NPP’s replacement in the next government,” Marak said.