DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Giridhari Lal Sahu, also known as Pappu Girdhari, seeking to quash a criminal case registered against him following a complaint by Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya.
The FIR, registered at Dehradun’s Cantt police station, accuses Sahu of offences including criminal conspiracy, assault, cheating, forgery, criminal intimidation and cruelty, as well as offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Sahu’s senior counsel argued that the couple had married on July 6, 2004, and had lived together for nearly 22 years. The case, they submitted, arose from a domestic dispute that had been given a criminal dimension.
Justice Alok Mahra, after hearing both sides and examining the records, observed that the allegations went beyond ordinary marital discord. They included claims of physical abuse, forged documents, caste-based insults and a conspiracy to kill Arya. These were serious cognisable offences that could not be dismissed at this stage, the court said.
In her complaint, Arya alleged that Sahu had concealed his first marriage and children when they got married. She also accused him of having relationships with other women and said that, when she objected, he assaulted and abused her and made caste-based remarks.
The complaint further alleges that Sahu used forged signatures and documents to show that Arya had been forced to resign from her position as a company director, despite her not having submitted any resignation.
It also refers to an audio recording in which Sahu allegedly discussed removing Arya from his path and spending money to have her killed. The authenticity of the recording, the court said, would need to be examined during the investigation and trial.
The state government's counsel and Arya's lawyer opposed the petition, citing the seriousness of the allegations. They also told the court that Sahu was not co-operating with the investigation.
The court observed that the duration of a relationship alone could not rule out the possibility of subsequent offences or cruelty. It said the veracity of the claims concerning the recording and the allegedly forged documents was a matter for investigation and trial.
Referring to Supreme Court rulings in the Bhajan Lal and Neeharika Infrastructure cases, Justice Mahra said that a court considering a plea to quash an FIR could not conduct a "mini-trial" at this stage. Finding no grounds to quash the case, the High Court dismissed Sahu's petition.
A non-bailable warrant has already been issued against Sahu, and police and Special Investigation Team personnel are searching for him.
The High Court's ruling does not determine his guilt; the allegations remain to be tested through the legal process.