Uttar Pradesh: Congress MP Rakesh Rathore Arrested In Rape Case (image: facebook.com/rakeshrathoreinc)
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh: Congress MP Rakesh Rathore has been arrested on Thursday in connection with a rape case. Representing Sitapur constituency, his arrest came a day after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court rejected his bail plea in the matter. Police arrested Rathore while he was addressing a press conference at his residence and has been taken to the city Kotwali police station.
The High court instructed Rathore to surrender before the Sitapur district and sessions court within two weeks.
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Talking to news agency ANI, Rathore said: “The High Court granted me 2-week time to appear before Lower Court and follow the legal procedure. So, I am surrendering before the Police in this connection.”
#WATCH | Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh: Congress MP Rakesh Rathore, accused in a rape case filed against him, surrendered before Police today.
He says, “The High Court granted me 2-week time to appear before Lower Court and follow the legal procedure. So, I am surrendering before the… pic.twitter.com/gpxAfnwqza
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2025
“I am confident that I will get justice in the court of people and court of law…The matter is subjudice before the court, so it will not be correct to speak on it…,” he added.
Earlier this month, the case was registered against Rathore, where the complainant alleged that he had sexually exploited her over the past four years, under the pretext of marriage and advance her political career. As per the police reports, the woman filed a complaint against the Sitapur MP on January 15. She has also handed over call details and recording to the police.
The FIR was lodged against the Congress MP under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Sections 64 for rape, 351 (3) for criminal intimidation and 327 (2) for threatening using firearm at Sitapur’s City Kotwali police station.
On January 20, Rakesh Rathore’s counsels, advocates Arvind Masdalan and Dinesh Tripathi, had submitted a petition seeking anticipatory bail in Sitapur. As per the police reports, Rathore has been absconding since FIR has been lodged amid his attempts to get bail.
Last week, the complainant’s husband filed a separate complaint against five individuals, alleging Rathore and his son of forcing the family into settling the case.
During the anticipatory bail hearing on January 23, lawyer appearing on behalf of Rathore told the court that the complainant had filed the sexual assault case after four years. The petitioner, Sitapur MP, has been falsely implicated in the case.
Meanwhile, victim’s lawyer told the court that the petitioner is a respected leader of the society and the delay took place on the part of the complainant in lodging the case out of the petitioner’s fear, the lawyer added, the live mint reports.
Recently, Rathore’s wife, Neel Kamal appeared in a video claiming that her husband was innocent in the case and was falsely implicated, Indian Express reports.
Rakesh Rathore
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rathore won the seat by defeating incumbent BJP Rajesh Verma by a margin of 90,000 votes. Rathore’s political career spans across different political parties. He began his political journey with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and in 2007 Assembly elections, he contested unsuccessfully from Sitapur constituency, and he lost to Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Radheshyam Jaiswal.
In 2013, Rakesh Rathore joined the BJP and in 2017 Assembly elections he contested again from Sitapur constituency and secured victory. He defeated Radheshyam Jaiswal by a margin of 24839 votes.
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Failing to receive election ticket in 2022, he quit BJP and joined SP. However, SP did not give ticket to Rathore in 2022 assembly elections or in the following MLC elections. In the same year, he shifted allegiance to Congress. He was then made State General Secretary. Rathore’s statements against BJP has often invited controversies.
