BJP suspends Bihar MLC arrested over allegations of molesting 12-yr-old

HAJIPUR: The BJP on Sunday morning suspended its lawmaker Tunna Ji Pandey within hours of his arrest for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old co-passenger on a train.

The legislative council member, who hails from Siwan, was on board the Howrah-gorakhpur Purvanchal Express when he molested the girl sleeping on a berth next to his, said a complaint filed by the minor’s father, a businessman, with the government railway police (GRP). The two were travelling from Kolkata in West Bengal to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The lawmaker even tried to take the girl to the bathroom, news agency ANI quoted Hajipur GRP chief Sanjay Singh as saying.

An FIR has been registered against Pandey, who was arrested at Hajipur, his destination.

Pandey, however, denied the charge. The 47-year-old said he was about to get down at Hajipur at around 3.15am when he switched on the light and tried to unplug his cellphone adapter from a charging point. “The girl raised an alarm, alleging that I had misbehaved with her. I didn’t even know whether it was a girl or a boy who was sleeping,” he said.

The party suspended Pandey as soon as it got the information about his arrest, BJP’S Bihar unit vice-president Sanjay Mayukh said. The party also issued him a show-cause notice.