Bihar: Rape accused MLA goes into hiding

PATNA: The RJD MLA from Sandesh in Bhojpur, Arun Kumar Yadav, who is accused of raping a minor, has gone into hiding after a police team from Ara landed at his official residence in Patna on Wednesday to question him in the case.
A team led by Ara Sadar DSP Pankaj Kumar returned empty handed as the cops were not allowed to enter Yadav’s Hardinge Road residence by his security team, who said the lawmaker was not present in the house.
Sachivalaya DSP Rajesh Kumar Prabhakar confirmed the visit of a Bhojpur police team to the capital in connection with the case involving an 11-year-old girl.
Bhojpur SP Sushil Kumar said investigating officer of the case Chandrashekhar Gupta had moved the special Pocso court in Ara on Wednesday seeking an arrest warrant against Yadav. “The arrest warrant could not be issued due to technical reasons. The court has called for the case diary, which will be submitted at the earliest,” the SP told this newspaper over phone on Thursday.
Investigating officer Gupta said the petition seeking arrest warrant against the MLA was submitted in the court of ADJ-l cum special Pocso court R K Singh as the survivor is a minor. She had deposed before the court on September 6. In her statement, she alleged that she was taken to the official residence of the MLA in question in Patna by one Anita where the minor was raped.
Anita, said to be a sex worker, had confessed before the police that she frequented the lawmaker's bungalow in Patna with the minor girl, who escaped from their clutches in July this year and reported the incident to the town police.
The survivor had earlier deposed before the court on July 18. She had identified the places where she was forcefully taken. During the course of investigation, the police came to know about the involvement of an engineer Amresh Kumar, who was also arrested. A local pimp Sanjeet Kumar and another accused in the case, Sanjay alias ‘Jija jee’, were later arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The SIT constituted by Bhojpur SP Sushil Kumar collected evidence to substantiate the allegations levelled against the lawmaker. The call detail record of Anita’s mobile phone was also obtained by the SIT.
The survivor has spoken out against the MLA seeking capital punishment for the accused lawmaker. “He should be given exemplary punishment for the crime,” she told a select group of journalists. She along with members of Mahila Vikas Manch called on BJP MP and Union minister RK Singh and demanded his intervention in the case.
The Sandesh MLA is the second state legislator facing charges of raping a minor girl. Earlier, RJD MLA from Nawada Raj Ballabh Prasad was convicted and awarded life term in a rape case in Nalanda district.
Bhojpur SP withdraws MLA’s guards: Bhojpur SP Sushil Kumar on Thursday ordered the withdrawal of the four security guards who allowed RJD MLA Arun Kumar Yadav to evade questioning by Ara cops. The action followed the return of the Ara police team from Patna after they were not allowed to enter the official bungalow of the MLA in Patna. SP Kumar said a CID team from the police headquarters is monitoring the police operation against the MLA. Attempts to contact the legislator for his comments proved futile. His mobile phone was switched off.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)