SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 9: BJP’s three-time MLA from Baghmara Dhulu Mahto today surrendered in the local court and was sent to judicial custody in a 10-year-old case of freeing a warrantee from police custody. Defence lawyer Lalan Prasad told media persons that due to the pen-down strike of lawyers, Dhulu Mahto appeared alone in the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate Abhishek Srivastava from where he was sent in judicial custody.
The High Court had last month directed him to surrender in lower court within a month which was scheduled to be completed on January 10. So he surrendered today.
Earlier the court of the sub-divisional magistrate had on October 9, 2019, while holding Dhulu Mahto and three other guilties for freeing warrantee Rajesh Gupta from police custody, obstructing government works, sentenced him and three others 18 months jail term and fine of Rs 9000. 5th accused of the case Basant Sharma was absolved from charges.
Notably, Dhulu Mahto, on November 4, 2019, appealed against the order in session court. But the session court dismissed the appeal on August 24, 2022.
He and three others filed a writ petition in High Court against it without surrendering in the lower court. So the high Court asked him to surrender in the lower court within one month.
The case is 10 years old. On May 12, 2013, Katras and Barora police station personnel arrested a warranty Rajesh Gupta, a close associate of then JVM Baghmara MLA Dhulu Mahto. The staff of AC enterprises Gauri Shankar Singh had lodged FIR in Katras police station against Rajesh Gupta for demanding Rs 1000 extortion on per ton of coal.
When the police were taking away Rajesh Gupta from his Nichitpur-based residence, Dhulu Mahto along with his supporter freed Rajesh Gupta from police custody. MLA along with supporters allegedly roughed up police officials.
Barora police made five persons including Dhulu Mahto name accused in the case.
