Bhopal, Jul 16 (IANS): The main accused in the Bhopal girls rape case Pyare Miyan (68), was arrested from Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, with the help of local police and will be brought to Bhopal, informed South Bhopal SP Sai Krishna Thota.

Pyare Miyan who had acquired the famous urdu daily Afkar nearly forty years ago, had built a large empire of illegal properties and was allegedly involved in trafficking and abuse of minor girls, had been absconding for the past four days.

The government had demolished a marriage garden and some other properties belonging to Pyare Miyan. The trafficking racket was busted when five girls, including four minors, were found wandering in Bhopal's Ratibad area last week. On being questioned, they said that they were returning after attending a party where one of them was raped.

The minor girls have told the Child Helpline that they were raped several times on many occasions in such parties. We have booked two people including Sweetie Vishwakarma, the girl who was accompanying the minors, under POCSO Act.

The government scrapped Pyare Miyan's accreditation as a journalist and launched a hunt for him. The women arrested in the case said many others including bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen were among the beneficiaries of Pyare Miyan's "hospitality" in the dens of sleaze.

"Two men and a woman linked to Pyare Miyan have been made accused in the rape case. Two luxury cars were seized. Police conducted a raid at two of his apartments where a pub was set up. A huge cache of liquor has been sized from there," said Thota.