Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar stated that Rathore was detained from his office in the Buggawala area of Haridwar and brought to the Dalanwala police station in Dehradun, after which he was formally arrested.
अंकिता भंडारी हत्याकांड: BJP पूर्व विधायक सुरेश राठौर गिरफ्तार, ऑडियो-वीडियो वायरल करने के आरोप
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suresh Rathore was arrested in connection with the investigation into viral audio and video clips that allegedly revealed the identity of a ‘VIP’ linked to the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case in Uttarakhand. The police provided this information on Monday.
Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar told PTI that Rathore was detained from his office in the Buggawala area of Haridwar and brought to the Dalanwala police station in Dehradun, where he was formally arrested.
This action follows a press conference held by Rathore three days ago.
During the press conference, Rathore had stated that the Uttarakhand High Court had quashed two of the four FIRs registered against him at the Bahadrabad and Jhabrera police stations.
The FIRs against Rathore had been registered on charges of circulating objectionable audio and video clips related to the case on social media.
Rathore had mentioned that the investigation into the remaining two cases, registered at the Dalanwala and Nehru Colony police stations, was still ongoing.
He had emphasized that he was fully cooperating with the authorities.
On June 4, the Uttarakhand High Court had quashed two of the four FIRs registered against Rathore in this matter.
However, a single-judge bench led by Justice Rakesh Thapliyal had permitted the police investigation to continue regarding the remaining two FIRs.
Complainants Dushyant Gautam and Aarti Gaur had alleged that the circulated material was intended to deliberately defame them.
In the clips made public regarding this case, Rathore had allegedly identified BJP National General Secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Gautam as the ‘VIP’.
Speaking to reporters in Haridwar on Friday, the former MLA denied having released any audio or video clips on social media or making any remarks against senior party leaders or the Chief Minister.
Rathore had stated that he regretted any hurt caused by his statements. He had alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to damage his political career.
In a press conference on Saturday, Deshraj Karnwal—a minister in the state government—termed Rathore’s claims regarding the relief granted by the High Court as ‘misleading’.
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old working as a receptionist at a resort in Pauri district, went missing in September 2022, and her body was subsequently recovered.
Following the incident, massive protests erupted across Uttarakhand, and three individuals—including the resort owner—were arrested and later convicted of her murder.
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