SHILLONG, July 27: A strong suspicion has arisen that absconding BJP MDC from Tura who was arrested in Uttar Pradesh by police may have been trying to enter Nepal from that state to escape the lookout notice and non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him when he was caught at Hapur on Tuesday evening.

The route to neighbouring Nepal through Uttar Pradesh is mostly open with many crossing points through the famous cities of Gorakhpur and Varanasi cities of the northern Indian state.

The Sunauli border crossing through Gorakhpur is now one of the busiest India-Nepal border crossings and thousands of Indians cross over daily from the crossing.

Another very common crossing point is through the city of Varanasi in the same state.

“He (Bernard) has no relatives or associates in Uttar Pradesh and yet was caught travelling alone in a taxi through Hapur city in UP. It is strongly suspected he may have been attempting to enter the country next door which will be known during the course of the investigation,” a highly placed police source in Shillong did not rule that out following the dramatic arrest of the absconding BJP leader after a four day search for him in connection with the case of a rape of a minor girl that occurred in his farmhouse in February.

Police had raided his farmhouse on Friday and arrested over 70 people and rescued five minors. The raid led to seizure of illegal alcohol, daggers and crossbow arrows and around five hundred packets of contraceptives.

At the time of his arrest, Bernard was 60 kms out of New Delhi travelling east into the city of Hapur in UP.