BJP MLC held after misbehaving with teen

BJP MLC Tunnaji Pandey was arrested Sunday from Hajipur railway station for allegedly misbehaving with a 12-year-old girl on Gorakhpur-bound Purvanchal Express. The BJP suspended Pandey, an influential businessman from Siwan who has liquor trade in UP, from the party.

The incident took place at Sarai police station near Hajipur station early Sunday when the MLC, travelling in the A-1 compartment of the train, allegedly tried to take the girl near the toilet and tried to kiss her.

He was arrested after the girl’s father, a businessman from Gorakhpur, alerted the Government Railway Police at Hajipur. “A case has been registered against Tunnaji Pandey under IPC and POCSO Act provisions,” said SP of Muzaffarpur rail B N Jha.

Pandey called the allegations baseless. “I was only trying to plug inmychargeradjacenttothegirl’s berth when she woke up and started shouting,” he said.

The BJP leader had become an MLC in 2014 bypolls.