Meghalaya BJP leader's resort raided for alleged prostitution, 73 arrested

The police have claimed that the resort was being used by Marak and his accomplices as a "brothel" for prostitution and filed a case of "immoral trafficking" against him in the local police station.

The six children were "locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms" and were in a state of shock, police added.

A total of 73 people have been arrested in the case so far, all have been produced in court.

"All the children were in a state of shock and were unable to speak properly. From the materials recovered at Rimpu Bagan as well as the design of the building etc., it appears that the place was being used by Bernard N Marak alias Rimpu and his accomplices as a "brothel" for the purpose of prostitution," police said.

Marak denied any wrongdoing and alleged that his resort was raided at the behest of Chief Minister Conrad Sangama, who he said was abusing the state machinery, reported NDTV.

He said the police conducted the raid without a warrant and accused them of "trespassing" his property and "harassing"  minor students whom he was sponsoring to study by alleging them to be involved in sexual activities,  according to the report.

Marak claimed that none of the detained individuals had been involved in indecent acts.

"Matured individual cannot be called a prostitute for partying and no homestay can be termed a brothel. Chief Minister has made things very personal by allowing police to frame human trafficking/prostitution over his own voters," he was quoted as saying in the report.

The cops said that the raids were conducted following a missing complaint lodged by a woman for her minor daughter who had been missing for a week.

Her relatives traced her to Tura. "Later, it was ascertained that the minor was sexually assaulted multiple times over one week," police said.

A case was then registered under the POCSO Act in the case.

The search team detained boys and girls numbering around 68 for interrogation. They were found drinking inside rooms as well as in vehicles on the resort premises and had either no or little clothes on them, the Superintendent of Police of West Garo Hills Vivekanand Singh said in a press release.

In the search conducted in presence of independent witnesses, police recovered 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, 168268 ml liquor, huge quantities of contraceptives (condoms) and other incriminating materials, the release added.

The search team also apprehended the manager, caretaker, and other three staff.

Bernard N Marak is an elected member of the Garo Hill Autonomous District Council.

He has been in news for attacking the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government in the state, where his party, the BJP, is an ally.

He was the self-styled chairman of the now disbanded militant outfit named A.chik Nationalist Voluntary Council (B).

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya unit of the BJP is tight-lipped and is yet to make any official statement, according to the NDTV report.