Shillong, Jul 23: A day after the farm house of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) Member of District Council (MDC), Bernard N. Marak was raided by police, he has been absconding.
“However, he has not cooperated and is evading arrest at the time of issue of this press release. The search operation is continuing,†a statement issued by the Superintendent of Police (SP), West Garo Hills district V S Rathore, and digitally signed by Vivekanand Singh stated.
According to police from the materials recovered at his farm house – Rimpu Bagan as well as the design of building, it appears that the place was being used by Marak and his accomplices as a “brothel†for the purpose of prostitution.
A case vide Tura Women police station of Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956 has been registered and being investigated.
Police also said that 73 persons who were detained have been arrested and are being forwarded to the court.
During the raid police also found five children (four boys and one girl) locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms.
All the children were in a state of shock and were unable to speak properly and they were handed over to District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for safe custody and further necessary action as per law.
At the farm house which is a three storied building (two floors in basement and one floor above ground level) with approximately 30 small rooms was found.
During the raid the team 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,†police said.
The search team also apprehended the manager, caretaker and three other staff members.
Later, the whole premise was searched in presence of independent witnesses and 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, 168268 ml liquor and huge quantities of contraceptives (condoms) and other incriminating materials were recovered.
Earlier this year the family of a minor girl filed an FIR that she was missing from home for one week and 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 Women police station and a case under POCSO Act was registered.
During the recording of statement the victim stated in the court that she and her friend was 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.
Police said that apart from the instant case, multiple verbal complaints were being received by residents of Tura town area that many immoral activities are going on at the farm house.
