A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against a Bihar ruling party MLA by a local court in Purnia in connection with a 12-year-old murder case. Bima Bharti, the Janata Dal (United) MLA representing the Rupauli Assembly constituency, now faces arrest.
Additional district judge (ADJ)-5 of the Purnia civil court, Vidya Sagar Pandey, issued the warrant against Ms. Bharti, on Thursday. Arrest warrant has also been issued against her two aides Mahavir Mandal and Motka Awadhesh. All are charged in the murder of Chanchal Paswan. The case was filed on May 6, 2005 at the Bhawanipur police station.
Ms. Bharti’s husband, Awadhesh Mandal, is currently lodged in the district jail in connection with a number of criminal cases pending against him.
Earlier, a sessions court had rejected Ms. Bharti’s anticipatory bail petition. Ms. Bharti, a former Bihar Minister, and six others were charged under sections 302 (punishment for murder), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code and section 27 of the Arms Act. Complainant Sonia Devi had charged the MLA with instigating the other accused persons to kill her husband Chanchal Paswan in May 2005.
However, after investigation, the local police had absolved Ms. Bharti,
