Shillong:&nbsp;In a major embarrassment for the BJP, five children were rescued and 73 people arrested from a "brothel" reportedly run by the party's Meghalaya Vice President Bernard N. Marak in Tura on Saturday, police said.The BJP leader has denied the charge and accused Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma of political vendetta.Acting on a tip off, a huge police contingent, led by senior officials, conducted an eight-hour-long raid at Rimpu Bagan, a farmhouse owned by militant-turned-politician Marak alias Rimpu, in West Garo Hills district.West Garo Hills district police chief Vivekanand Singh said that police rescued five minors -- four boys and one girl -- who were found locked inside dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms at Rimpu Bagan, comprising 30 rooms.All these children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer for safe custody and further necessary action as per law, he said. The police official said that the complex was suspected to be the place where a minor girl was sexually assaulted."The police team also noticed many young boys and girls openly drinking in the premises, inside the rooms as well as inside vehicles. Some of them were sitting inside the vehicle without clothes or with very less clothes. Accordingly, the search team detained 68 boys and girls," a police statement said.It said that some managed to run away taking advantage of darkness and by running over crushed liquor bottles.The police also arrested the manager, caretaker and other three staff and 36 vehicles, 47 mobile phones, 1,68,268 ml liquor, 500 unused contraceptives (condoms) and other incriminating materials were seized."From the materials recovered at Rimpu Bagan complex, it appears that the place was being used by Marak and his accomplices as a 'brothel' for the purpose of prostitution," the statement added.Marak, an elected member of the Garo Tribal Autonomous District Council, in a statement, strongly criticised Chief Minister Sangma for the raid at the farmhouse, denying allegations about 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," claim Marak, who is evading police arrest till late Saturday night.He alleged that the Chief Minister is doing everything within his power to ensure that the BJP doesn't win a seat in Meghalaya."His divide and rule formula is evident. He has created a rift between our two sitting MLAs while giving a ticket to (former Health Minister and BJP MLA Alexander Laloo) Hek's nephew to fight against him in his party ticket," said Marak.With two MLAs, the BJP is a part of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, led by Sangma's National People's Party.According to police, there are more than 25 criminal cases against Marak, the then self-styled chairman of now disbanded militant outfit Achik National Voluntary Council-B.

In a major embarrassment for the BJP, five children were rescued and 73 people arrested from a "brothel" reportedly run by the party's Meghalaya Vice President Bernard N. Marak in Tura on Saturday, police said.

5 children rescued, 73 held from Meghalaya 'brothel' run by BJP leader

Meghalaya

Tura: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday held a review meeting to assess the situation in the state's Garo Hills region, which has been hit by landslides and floods. The meeting held at Tura was attended by the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendent of Police and district officials the three worst-affected districts of West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills District. During the meeting, officials apprised the Meghalaya Chief Minister of the different relief measures that are being taken in their respective jurisdictions while informing them that the situation in most areas is returning to normal due to receding flood waters. The officials reported damage to road infrastructure, houses and property in all three districts. Agriculture and farming activities have also been badly affected. The Meghalaya Chief Minister instructed all officials to actively engage and extend all possible assistance so that emergency relief measures reach the flood-affected people and families at the earliest.He also instructed the officials of the concerned departments to expedite the process of restoring power lines and road connectivity which have been cut off due to heavy rain and landslides. Noting that floods are a regular occurrence during the Monsoons, especially in the plain areas of West and South West Garo Hills Districts the Chief Minister also instructed the Deputy Commissioners to find a suitable location for setting up several prefabricated structures that will serve as a permanent relief camp to house affected people during the flood season. "They can be repurposed for other activities at other times," he said. Later, the Chief Minister visited Tura Civil Hospital and handed over the ex gratia to the next of kin of a family that lost three lives in a landslide in the Gambegre area of West Garo Hills district. West Garo Hills district police said that one landslide was reported from Akinpara village in the district.A wooden bridge overf the Bugi river connecting Jijika to Megua which is the border area of Meghalaya's South Garo Hills and West Garo Hills district, was washed away by flood waters on Thursday, June 9. A video of the incident was confirmed by police. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Meghalaya during the next five days.—ANI

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday held a review meeting to assess the situation in the state's Garo Hills region, which has been hit by landslides and floods. The meeting held at Tura was attended by the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendent of Police and district officials the three worst-affected districts of West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills District.

Meghalaya CM holds review meeting to assess flood situation in Garo Hills region

Shillong: The Meghalaya government has informed the high court that 38 custodial deaths have been recorded in the state since 2012.A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice H S Thangkhiew said that an exercise has to be carried out to ascertain which custodial deaths were unnatural.The court fixed a tentative amount of Rs 10 lakh as compensation for the next of kin of those inmates who died unnaturally in custody and said the ex-gratia has to be increased if the deceased was aged below 40.It asked the state government to issue advertisements in select newspapers published from Shillong, Tura and Nongstoin inviting information on custodial deaths in addition to the 38 indicated by the state.The matter was on May 31 heard suo motu as a public interest litigation instituted by the HC following an order of the Supreme Court.The state government filed affidavits before the court mentioning the complete list of people dying in custody since 2012.It said that notices have been sent to next of kin of the deceased as per a previous court order on May 2."The figures furnished by the State indicate a total number of 38 custodial deaths in the State since 2012. Though certain anomalies in the figures previously furnished by the State had been indicated by ASG, who has been appointed as Amicus Curiae, but there does not appear to be any further input regarding more deaths in custody during the relevant period," the court said.Regarding its order to seek information for any more custodial deaths, it said, "The advertisements should provide that any person with verified information on any other custodial death in the State, apart from the 38 indicated by the State, during the period 2012 onwards, may write to the Court with supporting documents or may even appear before this Bench with all particulars in support."The order said the exercise that is now to be conducted is to ascertain which of the 38 deaths during the period may have been due to natural causes and which others may have been unnatural.The post-mortem and magisterial reports pertaining to the custodial deaths are available and shall be specifically compiled in respect of the 38 cases for the court to go through the same."In the event of unnatural deaths, a quantum of compensation would be required to be paid by the State to the next of kin of the deceased inmates. Tentatively, the quantum of compensation is fixed at Rs 10 lakh as on date, with a provision for an increased amount if the age of the inmate who suffered an unnatural death was below 40 at the relevant time," it added.The next hearing will be on June 29.The Meghalaya HC had in May this year directed the state government to identify the next of kin of the people who died in custody so that they could be informed about the pendency of proceedings initiated by the court, suo moto, for the purpose of compensating them.—PTI

The Meghalaya government has informed the high court that 38 custodial deaths have been recorded in the state since 2012.

38 custodial deaths in Meghalaya since 2012: Govt to HC

The Meghalaya government has informed the high court that 38 custodial deaths have been recorded in the state since 2012.

