Meghalaya MLA Julius K Dorphang accused of raping minor girl, arrested in Guwahati

Guwahati: Meghalaya MLA Julius K Dorphang, accused of raping a minor girl, was arrested in Guwahati on Saturday morning.

The Meghalaya Police had issued a look out notice to nab the absconding Independent legislator who was wanted in a sex racket involving a 14-year-old girl. The police also requested their counterparts in neighbouring states to share information as a man-hunt has begun to nab the legislator who supports the ruling Congress.

“We have issued a look out notice and we have also conducted raids in many places frequented by the man,” SP City Vivek Syiem told PTI on Friday. Several raids were conducted within the state and even in Assam on Thursday evening, which turned futile, he said.

A joint raid was conducted on Thursday evening by the state police along with Assam Police in Hatigaon area where the legislator frequented, but they did not find him there, a police officer who was part of the raid, said.

Dorphang, who previously founded a militant organisation and surrendered in 2007, went into hiding after the police booked him under section 366 (A) of the IPC and registered a case with section 3(a)/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act. The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house owned by senior Congress leader and state Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh’s son was arrested for pimping the victim last month. The victim was rescued from near the guest house and brought to the police station where she named all those involved in the racket. Five of the eight people, including four women named in separate FIRs, have been arrested till date.

On January 4, a local court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Dorphang, following which the man hunt began. Meanwhile, women activists here have demanded that the Chief Minister drop Lyngdoh from his cabinet to allow a free and fair trial.