Dhulu Mahto
Photo: ANI
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Dhulu Mahto, a three-time BJP MLA from Jharkhand’s Baghmara assembly constituency, surrendered before a local court here on Monday. The court sent him to judicial custody in a 10-year-old case of forcibly rescuing a person from police custody. Defense counsel Lalan Prasad said that Mahato appeared alone in the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate Abhishek Srivastava due to the strike called by the lawyers. MLA Dhulu Mahato said that he has full faith in the court, following the order of the court, he has surrendered.
The Jharkhand High Court had last month directed him to surrender before the lower court within a month (January 10). Special court judge Akhilesh Kumar had on August 10 completed the hearing on the appeal of the Baghmara MLA and others. The special MP/MLA court in Dhanbad had upheld the trial court’s order awarding 18 months jail term to the MLA and four others in the case.
The trial court had on October 9, 2019, convicted Mahto and four of his associates for obstructing public servants and forcibly releasing from police custody a man arrested on charges of extortion. The MLA’s lawyers later challenged the order in the High Court.