By Arun Pratap Singh
Haldwani, 24 Sep: Mukesh Bora, an ex-BJP leader who was absconding after being accused of raping a widowed woman and molesting her daughter in Lalkuan, has finally been arrested by the state police after managing to evade arrest for 24 days. SSP, Nainital, Prahlad Narayan Meena disclosed that the accused has been arrested from Rampur in UP. He also shared that five Police teams had been deputed in search of Bora. It may also be recalled that certain people were also found to be helping Bora in evading arrest by sharing with him updates on police action. A case has also been filed against these persons including a Transport Traffic Officer and they have been made co-accused in the case.
Meena on this occasion has also announced a reward of Rs 2,500 for the arresting team. It is worth noting that a woman working in the milk union had accused Mukesh Bora of rape and molesting her daughter on the basis of a false promise of a job. On the complaint of the woman, a case was registered against Mukesh Bora under the POCSO Act and sections of rape.
Bora was a BJP leader and Chairman of the Milk Producers Federation in Nainital. Once a case of rape and molestation was registered against Bora, he was expelled from the party by BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt. Bora managed to escape immediately after the complaint was filed against him. He had also applied for advance bail against arrest in the High Court. While the court had granted a temporary stay on his arrest initially, during a later hearing, his bail plea was dismissed. After this, the Police were searching for him and had also initiated the procedure to confiscate his property. The Police teams were continuously raiding his possible hideouts in Bareilly, Faridabad, Delhi and other places in Uttar Pradesh. On the basis of surveillance, it was found that Mukesh Bora had reached Rampur in UP to meet his lawyer so that he could file a bail petition with the Supreme Court. Once his location was traced, he was arrested from Rampur in a raid operation from Chakku Mohalla in Rampur in UP. He was allegedly being helped by certain people who were updating him with the ongoing police action and, he had been for this reason, able to evade arrest so far.
On 19 September, the Police received an input that he was in Bareilly but by the time the Police reached Bareilly, he had managed to flee. Later, he was also suspected to be in Delhi but the Police had failed to arrest him from there too.
According to SSP Meena, the police have also registered a case against four people who helped Mukesh Bora in escaping and were helping him financially. Meena said that further action will be taken by filing a charge sheet in the entire case.
