Police late on Monday night raided the house of the BJP’s Baghmara MLA, Dhullu Mahto, in connection with an old case of rape and outraging the modesty of a woman lodged against him by a former member of the BJP’s women’s wing.
The raid was based on a tip-off that the MLA would celebrate Holi with family. The police started the raid at Dhullu’s home in Chitahi village of Baghmara block, some 20km from district headquarters, on Monday night. Though the raid continued till the small hours of Tuesday, the police failed to arrest Dhullu.
This was the second raid at Dhullu’s Chitahi house in the span of less than a month. Police earlier on February 19 raided Dhullu’s house in connection with another case of rioting, Arms Act and attempt to murder lodged by his neighbour Doman Mahto with Barora police in Baghmara on February 14.
Dhullu’s supporters have claimed political vendetta at a time Rajya Sabha polls are nearing and every MLA vote is precious for the BJP to win at least one of the two seats on offer in Jharkhand. BJP’s Deepak Prakash is contesting the polls on behalf of the party.
The arrest warrant in connection with the Doman case, issued by the court of principal district and sessions judge of Dhanbad, Basant Kumar Goswami, was quashed by Jharkhand High Court on March 4.
But another warrant was issued by the court of subdivisional judicial magistrate of Dhanbad, Shikha Agarwal, against Dhullu in connection with the rape case lodged against him.
Dhanbad rural SP Amit Renu said they conducted the raid to catch Dhullu based on specific information — that he would be home for Holi celebrations — but could not. “We are conducting raids continuously at many places, but he has proven elusive,” he said.
Fresh case
On Sunday, March 8, police lodged a case against Dhullu Mahto and seven of his supporters — Gopal Mahto, Chandi Singh, Jugal Rawani,Tinku Mahto, Kamal Mahto, Babu Mahto and Ashok Thakur — with Barora police under the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 lodged by one Sona Ram Manjhi, a resident of Muraidih of Baghmara. Manjhi charged all the accused of beating him, forcibly capturing his land and threatening to kill him.