Julius Dorphang, an independent MLA from Meghalaya, has been arrested from Guwahati on charges of raping a minor in the state. The MLA was absconding after an FIR was filed against him.
Dorphang is a former leader of banned militant group HNCL. He is the sitting MLA of Mawhati constituency. Julius has been charged under IPC Section 366A and under POSCO Act Sections 3(A)/4.
The incident came to picture in the month of December when the victim, a 14-year-old minor named the MLA in her statement before the state commission for protection of child rights.
Julius has been arrested under the new Prevention of Child from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.
A joint raid was conducted on Thursday evening by the state police along with Assam Police in Hatigaon area where the legislator frequented, but they did not find him there, a police officer who was part of the raid, said.
Dorphang, who previously founded a militant organisation and surrendered in 2007, went into hiding after the police booked him under section 366 (A) of the IPC and registered a case with section 3(a)/4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act.
The sex racket came to light after an employee of a guest house owned by senior Congress leader and state Home Minister H D R Lyngdoh’s son was arrested for pimping the victim last month.
