BJP MLA of Sindri, Indrajit Mahto, facing charges of violation of lockdown rules, surrendered in the court of first class judicial magistrate Ravi Narayan on Wednesday, apprehending arrest ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday.

Mahto reached the court on Wednesday morning, accompanied by a team of lawyers led by Radheyshyam Goswami, and Badal Rawani, Dhirendra Brahmachari and Sanjay Jha, and was granted bail.

The circle officer of Govindpur in Dhanbad, Vandana Bharti, had lodged a case against Mahto in Barwaddah police station for taking out a procession during the lockdown on May 21.

A large number of people participated in the procession at Bantore village of Tialaiya panchayat of Govindpur block, about 25km from the district headquarters.

He also inaugurated an electric transformer in the village, installed at his initiative.

The complainant claimed that the MLA and others violated social-distancing norms.

The MLA and other participants in the procession allegedly didn’t wear masks despite the lockdown remaining in force in the district.

The village falls under Sindri constituency from where Mahto was elected for the first time in the Assembly elections last year, after defeating four-time MLA Phulchand Mahto.

After appearing in court, Mahto told reporters, “The residents of Bantore were facing electricity supply problems due to the lack of a transformer and I took the initiative to instal it.”

“The villagers had invited me after the transformer was installed, as they were happy with the resumption of electricity supply,” he added.

He said many people had come to meet him as they had also undertaken all kinds of relief programmes.

“The people were happy and greeted me but the administration lodged a case against me as part of a political vendetta. I surrendered in court today, respecting court orders,” Mahto said.