DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, who is facing multiple charges following controversial videos released by actress Urmila Sanavar.
The relief for Rathore comes as he petitioned the Uttarakhand High Court to stay his arrest in four separate cases registered against him in Dehradun and Haridwar. Cases were filed against Rathore at Bahadarabad and Jhabreda police stations in Haridwar, and Nehru Colony and Dalanwala police stations in Dehradun.
"Following hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Uttarakhand High Court has granted a stay on the arrest of Suresh Rathore across all four registered cases," a source familiar with the proceedings confirmed.
It was alleged that Rathore and another accused individual deliberately spread false and misleading content on social media with the intent to tarnish the image of Dushyant Kumar Gautam.
Rathore denied all the allegations and claimed that he was being framed in a political vendetta. The politician also claimed that co-accused Urmila is not his legally married wife and that the viral content was created using artificial intelligence without his involvement.
An FIR each with similar allegations have been registered against Rathore in Haridwar and Dehradun districts.
Advocate Vaibhav Chauhan, appearing for the petitioner in court, argued that no offence is made out under sections 248(B) and 336(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as the petitioner neither initiated any false criminal proceedings nor committed any act of forgery.
Considering the arguments, a single-judge bench of Justice Ashish Naithani granted 'interim protection' to Rathore and stayed any coercive action against him in the FIR.
Following the circulation of Urmila Sanavar’s videos, BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam was dragged into discussions related to the murder.
Challenging this, Gautam approached the Delhi High Court. On Wednesday, the court issued a crucial order in his favour.
"The Delhi High Court has directed that all content circulating on social media linking BJP leader Dushyant Gautam to the Ankita Bhandari case must be removed within 24 hours," an official spokesperson stated.
Amidst these legal battles, the opposition has intensified its attack on the state government regarding the handling of the Ankita Bhandari murder investigation.
Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan, Uttrakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal sharply criticised the administration.
"First, the evidence in the Ankita murder case was destroyed, and now the government is demanding evidence," Godiyal stated.
He highlighted the ongoing demand from Ankita’s parents for a CBI investigation, noting that the state government has failed to decide on this crucial step over the past three years.
In a show of solidarity, the 'Nyay Do' (Deliver Justice) foot march reached Gopeshwar town earlier this week. Led by Godiyal, Congress workers marched for nearly a kilometer, demanding accountability.
"This fight will continue until Ankita Bhandari receives justice," Godiyal asserted to the cheering crowd.