Meghalaya: Tura Court Issued Non-Bailable Warrant Against Bernard Marak in ‘Brothel’ Case

Meghalaya BJP vice president Bernard R. Marak is wanted on charges that he operated a brothel at his farm, Rimpu Bagan, in Edenbari. A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against him.

Chief Judicial Magistrate MK Lyngdoh issued the warrant on Monday.

A non-bailable warrant for Bernard N. Marak alias Rimpu’s arrest has been issued. The West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police, Vivekanand Singh Rathore, stated that the warrant was a standing order from the Tura Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The district police head stated, “We are speaking with Delhi police to help us trace Bernard Marak and bring him here for additional enquiry.

After a child victim testified in court that she and her friend were transported to Marak’s farmhouse, Rimpu Bagan, and were sexually assaulted there, Meghalaya police conducted a raid on the property on Friday. Rimpu Bagan had previously been classified as a camp for the dissolved ANVC-B militant group.

Marak claimed that he is not trying to avoid arrest but rather is concerned for his safety.

Marak declared, “I am not fleeing or attempting to avoid arrest; rather, I am attempting to prevent coming into contact with the state police.”

Rathore, however, disregarded Marak’s assertion that he had a police confrontation and asserted that “these are plots to avoid an arrest.”

Chief Judicial Magistrate MK Lyngdoh had earlier stated that Investigating Officer (IO) M Hajong had presented a prayer for the issuance of a non-bailable order of arrest against Bernard N Marak when issuing the arrest warrant.

“According to the IO, on July 22, a search was carried out at Rimpu Bagan in Edenbari, in the farmhouse of Bernard N. Marak alias Rimpu. During the raid, the arrested accused persons were discovered within the rooms and on the property of Rimpu Bagan as couples, some of them were not married. Some of them came for liquor and to have a party inside the farm house at Rimpu Bagan after one couple—Noringra K Sangma and Talsan Ch Momin—was discovered inside a vehicle in a compromising position. However, during the search operation in the farm house of Bernard many other illegal possession were discovered.

In her request, the IO also mentioned that Bernard N. Marak was the subject of a different case that had been filed at Tura Women PS in accordance with a number of POCSO Act provisions. Bernard N. Marak was not found in his home following the event at Rimpu Bagan, and he was largely avoiding arrest in connection with the case, the IO has further noted in her request. He was identified as the principal accused in the case and the owner of Rimpu Bagan during the course of the enquiry, according to the warrant order.