Gopalganj, May 24: A JD(U) MLA was arrested this evening for allegedly thrashing four youths and keeping them in captivity assuming they voted against his relative, who lost in the panchayat elections. His three bodyguards and driver were also arrested.

The MLA in the eye of the storm is Ram Sevak Singh. He represents the Hathua Assembly constituency.

Sources said Singh’s bodyguards and six others thrashed Afroz Khan and Tabrej Khan at Baleshra village of Gopalganj district between 9 and 10pm on Monday, accusing them of voting against Saroj Devi, the sister-in-law of the MLA, in the panchayat elections. While Afroz and Tabrej were set free after being beaten up, two others — Rajesh Dubey and Vishal Kumar — were taken inside the MLA’s house and tortured. They fell unconscious after the MLA’s aides poured petrol on their private parts.

Vishal and Rajesh have been admitted to the Hathua sub-divisional hospital. They are out of danger. A large number of policemen are guarding the hospital.

A resident of the village said the results of the panchayat elections declared on Monday led to the incident, as Singh could not digest the defeat of his sister-in-law.

Vishal echoed the resident in his statement to the police. He said the MLA and his aides thrashed him for voting against his relative.

After getting information about the incident, the newly elected mukhiya, Sushila Devi, rushed to the house of the MLA with villagers and informed the police.

Acting swiftly, Gopalganj superintendent of police (SP) K.S. Anupam raided the MLA’s house around 2am on Tuesday and arrested his three bodyguards — Jairam Mahto, Bhola Singh and Munna Patel — and the driver — Nand Kumar Thakur. They have been forwarded to judicial custody.

The police could not zero in on the MLA’s brother. But the legislator was arrested from his residence this evening.

In order to defend himself and his aides, the JD(U) MLA allegedly kept a country-made pistol and few cartridges on the right side of Vishal, claiming that he and Rajesh had entered his house with ulterior motive.

The police refused to buy this theory. “Vishal does not have his right hand from birth. Moreover, the country-made pistol placed there was too old. Hence, we refused to accept the logic put forward by the people present inside the MLA’s house,” the SP said.

Two FIRs have been lodged at the Uchakagaon police station in this connection. The victims’ relatives have named the MLA and nine others in their FIR and have lodged a case of attempt to murder against them. The FIR lodged from the MLA’s side is based on the statement given by his bodyguards to the police. They claimed that the youths were moving suspiciously outside the MLA’s house.