Former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore was arrested on Monday in connection with an investigation into viral audio and video clips linked to the alleged naming of a ‘VIP’ in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, police said.
According to Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar, Rathore was detained from his office in Buggawala in Haridwar and brought to Dalanwala police station in Dehradun before being formally arrested.
The development comes days after Rathore held a press conference claiming that the Uttarakhand High Court had quashed two of the four FIRs registered against him at Bahadrabad and Jhabrera police stations.
The FIRs were lodged over the alleged circulation of objectionable audio and video clips on social media connected to the case.
Rathore had said investigations in the remaining two cases, registered at Dalanwala and Nehru Colony police stations, were still underway and maintained that he was fully cooperating with authorities.
On June 4, the Uttarakhand High Court quashed two of the four FIRs filed against Rathore. However, a single-judge bench of Justice Rakesh Thapliyal allowed police investigations to continue in the remaining two cases.
The controversy centres around allegations that Rathore publicly identified BJP national general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam as the alleged “VIP” linked to discussions surrounding the Ankita Bhandari case.
Dushyant Gautam and Aarti Gaur, who are among the complainants, alleged that the circulated material was intentionally aimed at damaging their reputation.
According to police, Gautam filed a complaint at Dalanwala police station on January 5, alleging that Rathore, actress Urmila Sanawar and certain political parties had conspired to create and circulate false audio and video clips to defame senior BJP leaders and trigger public unrest.
Following the complaint, police registered a case under Sections 61(2), 336(4), 353(2) and 356(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
During the course of the investigation, police later added Section 308(6) of the BNS, which pertains to extortion, based on evidence and witness statements.
Speaking to reporters in Haridwar on Friday, Rathore denied releasing any audio or video clips on social media or making remarks against senior party leaders or the chief minister.
Expressing regret if his statements had hurt anyone, Rathore said a conspiracy was being hatched to destroy his political career. On Saturday, BJP leader Deshraj Karnwal, who holds minister of state rank, described Rathore’s claims regarding the High Court order as “misleading”.
After his arrest on Monday, Rathore was produced before a local court, which sent him to 14-day judicial custody at Suddhowala district jail.
What Is The Ankita Bhandari Case?
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist working at a private resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district, went missing in September 2022 and was later found dead.
The case sparked massive protests across the state and led to the arrest of three people, including the resort owner. The accused were later convicted for her murder.
(With Inputs from PTI)