Patna,(BiharTimes): Former minister and Janata Dal (United) MLA Bima Bharati and the party MP of Purnea, Santosh Kushwaha, have denied the media reports about their involvement in the escape of notorious gangstater, Awadesh Mandal, from police custody on Monday.

Bima, the wife of Awadesh, said she does not know how it all happened when there was so much security presence in the police station. She said that she had nothing to do with the incident.

On the other hand Santosh said: “Neither I went to police station nor I met the MLA in this regard...In fact I tried to contact the SP.”

Santosh was a BJP MLA who joined the BJP on the eve of Lok Sabha election of 2014. He is one of the two MPs who won the election on JD(U) tickets.

Bima, originally in RJD, crossed over to the JD(U) when the latter was in alliance with the BJP.