6 children rescued, 73 arrested from 'brothel' run by BJP leader in Meghalaya, police say

Six children were rescued and 73 people were arrested from a ”brothel” allegedly run by BJP’s Meghalaya vice-president Bernard N Marak in Tura on Saturday, a senior police officer said.

Rimpu Bagan, a farmhouse owned by militant-turned-politician Marak, was raided on the basis of a tip-off, West Garo Hills district’s Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh told PTI.

”We have rescued six minors — four boys and two girls — who were found locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms at Rimpu Bagan run by Bernard N Marak and his accomplices as a brothel for the purpose of prostitution,” Singh said.

All the children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for safe custody and further necessary action as per law, he said.

In the raid, about 400 bottles of liquor and over 500 unused condoms were found, he added.

Seventy-three people were arrested for their indulgence in ”nefarious activities” as evident from the material seized, the officer said, adding that the farmhouse has 30 small rooms.

It is suspected to be the place where a girl was sexually assaulted, and a case was filed in that regard in February 2022, he said.

Marak, an elected member of the Garo Tribal Autonomous District Council, in a statement attacked Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for the raid, denying the allegation of running a ”brothel”.

”The CM is getting desperate as he knows he is losing his South Tura seat to the BJP. The raid at my farmhouse is a desperate attempt by him to malign my image and a political vendetta,” he claimed.

Marak is yet to be arrested, police said.

The BJP is a part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by Sangma’s NPP.