Suspended Bihar BJP MLC Tunna Pandey sent to 12-day custody for molesting minor girl on train

Government Railway Police on Sunday arrested Siwan BJP MLC Tunna Pandey on charges of molesting a girl on board a train.

Patna: Siwan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Tunna Pandey, who was arrested by Government Railway Police early today on charges of molesting a girl on board a train, has been sent to 12-day judicial custody.

The incident took place on Sarai station near Hajipur-Muzaffarpur zone.

Sanjay Singh, GRP, Hajipur confirmed the report and told media that the BJP MLC was taken into their custody after a girl's parents lodged a complaint accusing the Bihar lawmaker to harassing the minor on board in the train while she was asleep. 

"The girl was sleeping in a train berth, Tunna tried and molested her. He also tried to take her to the bathroom. FIR has also been registered in the matter and Tunna Pandey has been arrested," Sanjay Singh said.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi announced that the party has suspended Pandey, accused of molesting a girl.

BJP has suspended party MLC Tunna Pandey.

— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 24, 2016

The girl, 12-year-old was travelling with her parents from Kolkata to Gorakhpur in the Purvanchal Express. She alleged that the Bihar lawmaker touched her inappropriately while she was sleeping and even attempted to forcibly kiss her.

She also claimed that Pandey asked her to accompany him till the bathroom after which started screaming in fear and narrated the episode to her parents. 

An FIR was registered against Pandey at Gorakhpur.

The Siwan police arrested Pandey and charged him under POSCO Act since the girl is a minor.

Pandey however, denied all the charges and said that he only tried take out his phone charger and did not touch the girl at all. "I was just taking out my phone charger,didn't even know whether it was a girl who was sleeping or a boy," Pandey told ANI.

Pandey has been known to be an alcohol mafia in Uttar Pradesh, and had a thriving liquor business in Bihar as well. However, after state chief minister Nitish Kumar imposed a liquor ban in Bihar this year, Pandey's business wasn't doing well in the state.