The Meghalaya Police on Saturday rescued six children and arrested 73 people from a ‘brothel’ allegedly run by state Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) vice-president Bernard N Marak at Tura in West Garo Hills district.

Rimpu Bagan, a farmhouse owned by militant-turned-politician Marak, was raided on the basis of a tip-off, as stated by the West Garo Hills district’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivekanand Singh.

Singh said, “We have rescued six minors, four boys and two girls, who were found locked inside a dingy cabin-like unhygienic rooms at Rimpu Bagan run by Bernard N Marak and his accomplices as a brothel for the purpose of prostitution.”

All the children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for safe custody and further necessary action as per law, he said.

73 people were arrested for their indulgence in “nefarious activities” as evident from the material seized, the officer said, adding that the farmhouse has 30 small rooms.

However, Marak dismissed the allegations of his farmhouse being used as a brothel as a “political conspiracy” and slammed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for the raid.