Bhopal: Bhopal-based newspaper owner Pyare Miyan (68) who was on the run after five girls and a woman accused him of rape was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the city police said here.
Earlier in the day, the police claimed to have seized porn CDs, high-end cars, liquor bottles and bones of wild animals among other things during raids on his properties.
“We had information from sources that he was in Srinagar. He was arrested in coordination with local police,” said Superintendent of Police (Bhopal South) Sai Krishna Thota.
Thota, who is heading the special investigation team which is probing the case, said a team had been sent to Srinagar and Miyan was likely to be brought here by Thursday morning.
Apart from a case of rape under the Indian Penal Code and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the police also invoked the Excise Act and Wildlife Act following seizure of liquor, an antler and bones of wild animals from his flats.
Sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also invoked as two of the minor girls belong to these communities, the police said.
“CDs, DVDs, pen drives and hard disks containing pornographic material were seized from five properties of Miyan in Bhopal and Indore in the last two days. These also include child pornographic content,” Thota told PTI.
The complainants had told the police that Miyan used to show them porn videos, he said.
The seized vehicles included an Audi and a Pajero, the SP said, adding that these vehicles were used to ferry girls to Miyan’s flats.
One of the flats was also found to have a dance floor and a large bar, according to police sources.
“Four minor girls and a woman have filed complaints of rape against Miyan. The latest complaint was lodged by a minor girl at Koh-e-Fiza police station on Tuesday,” Thota said.
During the last two days, the Bhopal administration razed a marriage hall and an apartment built illegally on government land by Miyan.
On Sunday, the police booked Miyan’s accomplice Sweety Vishwakarma (21) after five girls were found roaming around in inebriated state. The girls allegedly told the authorities that Miyan had invited them to a birthday party on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday in a flat in Shahpura area.
Meanwhile, the allotment of a government accommodation to Miyan has been canceled, an official said.(PTI)
