Patna, Sep 20 (IANS): Purnea police on Friday initiated the process for attaching former MLA Bima Bharti’s property as part of legal proceedings related to her family.
The initiative was taken following the murder of prominent Purnea-based businessman Gopal Yaduka in which the FIR was registered against Bima Bharti’s husband Awadesh Mandal, her son Raja Kumar and others.
Gopal Yaduka was gunned down by unidentified persons in Purnea on June 2 this year.
Following the incident, all accused named in the FIR absconded.
The district police raided several places and also went to court over attachment of the property of the accused.
The action to attach Bima Bharti’s property took place on Friday following a court order directing the district police to proceed with the attachment.
The district police had served a notice at her residence during the Rupauli Assembly bye-election.
Previously, under pressure from the district police, Bharti's husband, Awadesh Mandal, had surrendered to the court, but their son, Raja Kumar, remains absconding.
Due to his failure to surrender, the police initiated the property attachment process.
Kartikeya Sharma, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Purnea, confirmed that the police had followed the legal procedure by obtaining the court's order and serving a notice in advance.
“Since there was no response from Bharti’s family within the stipulated time, the police moved forward with the attachment on Friday,” Sharma said.
As part of the legal process the district police deployed a large contingent of officers at the site to prevent any disturbances or untoward incidents.
Bima Bharti, responding to the action, claimed that the district police were harassing her and her family at the behest of the Bihar government.
Bima Bharti is a five-time MLA who joined the RJD in April this year after quitting the Janata Dal (United).
She expressed frustration over the timing of the property attachment, stating, “It was done in my absence while I was in Patna.”
Bima Bharti has denied any wrongdoing and said that the police action was politically motivated.