Bharatiya Janata Party’s expelled leader Rahi Masoom Raza, who was absconding after being booked in a rape and murder case in Maharajganj district, was arrested by the police from Nepal border late on Saturday night.

Rahi Masoom Raza, a resident of Veer Bahadur Nagar ward of Maharajganj city, was the district president of the BJP Minority Front.  On September 5, a Dalit girl from Sant Kabir Nagar, who lived in his house, had filed a complaint of rape, murder of her father and molestation of her younger sister against Raza.

The very next day, the victim had denied the allegations made in the FIR before the magistrate. After this, the Kotwali police had handed over Raza in the custody of his relatives after the investigation and since then he was absconding. 

During investigation, it was revealed that the girl was given Rs 9 lakh to change her statement and her brother was threatened with murder if she did not change her statement. Following the development, over half a dozen policemen have been suspended in the matter so far.

In the meantime, the superintendent of police of Maharajganj formed 15 police teams to nab the absconding Raza. On Saturday night, a team got success after it learnt that Raza planned to flee to Nepal to evade his arrest. The team rushed on the border and managed to nab him when he was slipping out to Nepal.

He was later brought back for interrogation and produced before a local magistrate on Sunday after which he was sent to jail.

The police are likely to seek his custody remand, to grill him further to extract more details of the crime which include involvement of others.

Sources said that bulldozers would be used to raze the illegal property of Rahi Masoom Raza. In the preliminary investigation, it has been found that he constructed a house illegally. After many discrepancies, including the layout map, came to light, the administration issued him a notice.

The police administration has tightened the noose around the accused leader.  Preparations are underway to demolish his illegal property. A notice has been issued in this regard.