Bokaro, Feb. 15: The Bokaro police got more than an hour today to arrest Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Jagannath Mahto, who was attending a meeting and dining just about 300m from the residence of their superintendent, but the men in uniform let go of the chance.

Mahto, against whom an arrest warrant is pending since 2003 in a murder case, had a gala time at the spring fair meeting of JMM, feasted on a sumptuous meal and went back home, bragging that he feared no one. The meeting-cum-luncheon was held at Sector I, about 250m from the city police station.

Mahto is alleged to have murdered his cousin over a land dispute around 1986. An arrest warrant had been issued on March 12, 2003. But the police failed to act on it. After the implementation of President’s rule in the state, additional district judge of Bokaro fast track court, Tenughat, M.C. Verma, sent fresh notices to Bokaro SP Priya Dubey, SDPO Bermo Kranti Kumar and the officer in-charge of Chandrapura police station in January, asking them to act on the warrant or face contempt of court charges.”

The police did get the opportunity today. Mahto stayed at the meeting for more than one hour, asking party workers to gear up for the Lok Sabha election that might be followed by the Assembly polls if the JMM nominee did not become the chief minister.

Such is his clout that when asked what if police came to arrest him, Mahto laughed out loud, saying that he feared no one and was only bothered about social welfare works.

Dubey pleaded ignorance about the MLA’s visit.