The Meghalaya High Court on Saturday granted bail to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bernard Marak, who was arrested on charges of running a brothel as well as storing explosives and weapons at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Tura city, PTI reported.

He was granted bail on the condition that he will not leave the country or tamper with evidence and would cooperate with the police.

Marak was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur district on July 26. He was absconding since the police raided his farmhouse on July 23 during which six minor children were rescued.

Subsequently, 35 gelatine sticks,100 detonators, four crossbows and 15 arrows were seized from the farmhouse on July 28.

The BJP leader was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956, the Explosive Substances Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

On Saturday, the Meghalaya High Court said that while it was content that Marak is the owner of the property, there was not enough evidence to point out that the place was used as a brothel.

“From the statement of the witnesses and the materials on record, there is insufficient evidence to link the accused person to the alleged offence in as much as there is no initial evidence that the place of occurrence has been used as a brothel, nor is there any evidence to prove that prostitution was carried,” the court observed, according to PTI.

While granting him bail, the court also asked Marak to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two solvent sureties of similar amount.

On September 1, Marak was arrested in a separate case on allegations of forcibly increasing the prices of food items in Tura city. He was later granted bail in the case, according to The Shillong Times.