BJP MLA returns after 12 hours

Ruling BJP MLA Kallu Singh Thakur “mysteriously” disappeared on Wednesday from his home town of Dharampuri in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, leading the police to launch a massive search operation to trace him down.

A police team headed by the local sub-divisional officer (SDOP), however, located him in the remote village of Umaria in the district on Thursday afternoon after nearly a 12-hour-long search.

“We traced him in Umeria village. He is being brought to Dharampuri under police protection”, a senior district police officer told this newspaper unwilling to be quoted.

However, his sudden disappearance was still shrouded in mystery, police source said.

“The MLA is likely to address the media later about his disappearance,” sources close to Mr Thakur said.

The MLA’s gunman lodged a missing report at the Dhamnod police station on Wednesday when his family members found his cell number switched off on Wednesday. He was last seen taking tea at his home in Dharampuri on Wednesday morning. Mr Thakur was allegedly indulged in a brawl with a contractor recently.

The contractor was awarded a contract to construct Nagda-Gujjar road in the area. The contractor has lodged a complaint against him and his private assistant in connection with the incident.