Absconding MP BJP leader facing 47 cases held after 10 months

A local BJP leader, who is an accused in 47 criminal cases, was arrested here on Saturday, ten months after he went absconding following the seizure of firearms and explosives from his premises, police said.

The accused, Sanjay Yadav (51), who was earlier a Congress corporator, had joined the BJP in February 2017.

"Yadav, who is an accused in 47 criminal cases, including murder and looting, was arrested after police found him during vehicle checking in Rajpur area here on Saturday," Barwani Superintendent of Police (SP) D R Teniwar said.

"In March last year, the police had seized huge cache of firearms and explosives from Yadav's premises," he said.

After the seizure, cases had been registered against him under the Arms Act and the Explosives Act.

The district administration had also invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Yadav.

"However, Yadav had gone absconding after the seizure. He was carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head," Teniwar said.

The accused leader's mother, Basanti Yadav, is currently the president of Sendhwa municipality.

Meanwhile, Barwani district BJP chief Om Soni confirmed that Yadav is still a BJP member and the party was yet to take any action against him.