After the suspension from the JD(U), its MlC Manorma Devi, the mother of Rocky Yadav, who allegedly killed a school student in Gaya and now in police custody, has gone underground while the police sealed her spacious house in Gaya’s AP Colony on Wednesday. The police had recovered six bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor from that house during a raid.
Possession of liquor is a cognizable offence and could invite minimum of ten years imprisonment under the new Excise law.
The immediate provocation for JD(U) leadership taking action against her was the recovery of the liquor bottles and not her complicity in helping her son to escape after committing crime on Saturday last.
Gaya District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said process for confiscation of the property had also began. However, he did not clarify whether the house would be put on auction after confiscation or remain under Government possession. The law provides for the confiscation of the property, where liquor is found, and its auction.
The Gaya Police have also stepped up its manhunt to arrest the absconding MlC. Under the Excise Act, police are empowered to arrest the culprit without seeking a warrant from the competent court.
The police also slapped a case on Yadav family for employing a child labour at their home.
State JD(U) president Bashistha Narain Singh, who on Tuesday night suspended Manorma Devi after consultation with party’s national president Nitish Kumar, said, “I suspended her because liquor bottles were recovered from her house. I have also issued a showcause notice to her. I want to assure everyone there is no place for such people in our party. Our Government is committed to ensure legal action against such people.”
Manorma’s husband and history-sheeter Bindeshwar Prasad alias Bindi Yadav had already been arrested on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Economic Offences Wing of the Bihar Police was mulling investigation into the source of the income of the Yadav family which is a classic case of rags to riches during the past two decades. Till late 80s, old timers in Gaya recall that the family lived in near penury before Bindi jumped into the world of crime and unleashed a reign of terror and also gained political patronage.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi questioned the police for not arresting Manorma Devi when the liquor bottles were recovered during raid and the MlC was very much present there. He dared CM Nitish Kumar to take action against the police officers whose complicity in going soft against the JD(U) legislator was proven. He alleged that cops tried to protect her knowing well that along with Bindi Yadav she too helped Rocky to escape and that alcohol was recovered from her house. He quoted ADG Police Sunil Kumar that in Bihar women do not drink so case was filed against her and Gaya City SP said that the room from where the bottles were recovered was in use of only Bindi and his son. Modi referred to a case at Gaya junction on Tuesday from where a woman Usha Devi carrying crates of liquor bottle was arrested. “If she could be arrested why not Manorma Devi on similar chargesIJ”, he asked.