BSP MLA held on sexual harassment charge

GUILTY AS CHARGED: Guddu Pandit's arrest followed an allegation from a research scholar, Sheetal.

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Noida/Lucknow: Shribhagwan Verma alias Guddu Pandit, an Uttar Pradesh legislator of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was arrested from Noida on Sunday afternoon, following allegations of sexually exploiting a woman.

According to sources, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati called Pandit at her Delhi residence to seek his explanation on charges of sexual exploitation levelled against him.

She alerted Delhi Police and later a team of Uttar Pradesh police whisked him to Noida, on the outskirts of the national capital, from where he was formally arrested.

The arrest followed an allegation from a research scholar, Sheetal, who said the legislator had exploited her physically and mentally for the past couple of years.

The arrest came after the allegations were published in a Hindi daily published from Lucknow.

"When I asked him to marry me, he not only planned to eliminate me but also threatened me of dire consequences. There is still threat to my life. My family and I should be given protection," said Sheetal, an M.Sc from Agra University.

Verma was elected from Dibai seat of Bulandshahr in 2007.