Bail for Meghalaya BJP vice-president Bernard N Marak in Pocso case

GUWAHATI: The high court of Meghalaya on Monday granted state BJP vice-president Bernard N Marak bail in a Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) case, the last of six cases slapped on him, ending his three-month custody in jail.

Justice W Diengdoh, while hearing a bail application by Marak’s brother, Tingku N Marak, said the accused is “confined in custody on very flimsy grounds”.

Marak’s counsel, senior advocate of Gauhati HC, AM Bora, said Meghalaya Police registered six cases against Marak when he was in judicial custody. “We have got bail in all the six cases now,” Bora said.

Marak was arrested by Tura police under the Explosives Substances Act and by Tura women police station under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act on July 27 for allegedly running a brothel from his farmhouse at Edenbari in West Garo Hills district and possessing explosives. Earlier in September, the high court had granted Marak bail in two cases — running a brothel from his farmhouse and possessing explosives on the grounds that there is “insufficient evidence to link” him to the alleged offences.

Bora said while he was still in jail in earlier cases, Marak was arrested again on July 29 in connection with another case registered by Tura Women police station under Pocso alleging that one child, aged about 3 years, was rescued from Marak’s farmhouse.

The court on Monday noted that “there is no direct evidence linking the accused brother of the petitioner to the alleged sexual assault of the child”.