Gopalganj, June 2: JD(U) MLA from Hathwa Assembly seat Ram Sevak Singh was granted bail today by Gopalganj district and sessions judge V.P. Singh. Singh was taken to custody for torturing two youths after taking them hostage in their house.

Ram Sevak along with his brother Ramshray Singh, his three bodyguards and his driver allegedly took the two youths as hostage and tortured them on the night of May 23.

The MLA was arrested along with his bodyguards on May 24 and sent to judicial custody, while Ramashray was absconding. On May 25, the MLA was denied bail by Gopalganj chief judicial magistrate.

Saroj Devi, the wife of younger brother of Ram Sevak, was in the fray for the post of Mukhia. However, she was defeated by Sushila Devi and this angered the MLA and his family. On May 23, when the results were announced, the MLA and his family became furious. All the people who were passing through the area near the house of Ram Sevak were taken to task. First, two youths were beaten up, after which two youths — Rajesh Mishra and Vishal Singh — were taken as hostage.

They were first asked whom they voted for. Rajesh was the relative of the winning candidate and therefore the Hathuwa MLA inferred that he must have voted against his sister-in-law. Then they were taken hostage. They were beaten black and blue and if that was not enough, petrol was poured into their private parts, after which they lost consciousness.

As the news of the incident spread, the villagers informed Gopalganj superintendent of police (SP) K.S. Anupam, who swung into action immediately and reached Balesra village on the same night. Taking stock of the situation, she immediately suspended the bodyguards, Jai Ram Mahto, Bhola Singh, Pawan Kumar, and the driver, Vijay Kumar, and arrested all of them.

Ram Sevak was arrested from his house and sent to judicial custody the next day.

Taking serious note of the incident, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had said no erring public representative would be spared and the law will take its own course.

The MLA’s brother, Ramashray, is still absconding.

The incident had unnerved the ruling NDA government in the state and the Opposition had launched a scathing attack on the claim of good governance. Earlier, during the regime of RJD, one of its MLAs from Gaya Lalit Yadav had ripped the nails of one person when he protested his actions.