Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 13 (ANI): Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sandeep Verma on Friday demanded the immediate arrest of Congress MLA Bhushan Bara over rape allegations against him, alleging that the case also exposed serious concerns regarding the alleged employment of a minor as a domestic worker.
Speaking to ANI, Verma said the allegations against an elected representative were serious and called for an immediate investigation and arrest.
"This is a very serious matter. When an MLA—someone the public elects to work for them—is accused of such a heinous crime, I think they should be investigated and arrested immediately. More importantly, this clearly exposes the true character of Congress," he said.
Verma further alleged that pressure was being exerted on the administration and demanded an investigation into the alleged employment of the minor as a domestic worker.
"Their standards are just dropping constantly. And because they're in government, today I heard—and you guys mentioned it in your interview too—how much pressure was being put on the administration. First of all, keeping a child like that as a servant to do housework is a huge crime in itself. As for child labour, there's a complete ban.. They need to investigate all of this, arrest them immediately, and cancel their membership… This government always tries to protect criminals like this. I demand that these people, who are committing such heinous crimes, be arrested under the POCSO Act and sent to jail right away," he further said.
Further, Adivasi youth activist Sunny Toppo described the incident as condemnable.
"This is highly condemnable. It's a huge shame for Jharkhand today. We want to tell you that the girl is an orphan. People from the tribal organisation, her supporters, and her close associates gave us an application to help her get justice. As soon as we got the memorandum in Dhurwa, we immediately brought her to the Dhurwa police station. We helped the victim file an FIR, and we also sent her to the administration for a medical examination," Toppo said.
The BJP staged a protest in Ranchi against Bara following rape allegations against him, with party leaders demanding his immediate arrest and strict punishment if the charges are proven.
An FIR has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act following the allegation against Bara, who represents the 70-Simdega Assembly constituency, Hatia Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Niraj Kumar said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Bara denied the allegations, describing them as a "completely fabricated" conspiracy by his political opponents to tarnish his reputation. (ANI)
“Cancel his membership”: BJP's Sandeep Verma seeks immediate arrest of Congress MLA Bhushan Bara
