Congress MP Rakesh Rathore was arrested on Thursday in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, in relation to a rape case filed by a female complainant. Rathore, representing Sitapur, was taken away by the police while he was holding a press conference at his residence.
Rathore was arrested a day after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court denied his request for anticipatory bail in the case. Rathore is charged with sexual exploitation of a woman for four years while pretending to marry her.
A single bench led by Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan issued the order after considering the anticipatory bail application submitted by Rathore. The attorney representing the petitioner informed the court that the plaintiff had initiated this case four years later. He stated that the petitioner has been wrongfully accused in this case.
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The High Court rejected the request and instructed him to turn himself in at the sessions court within fourteen days.
On January 17, the police in Uttar Pradesh filed a case against Rathore following a complaint made by the woman. Three days later, the lawyers for the Congress MP, Arvind Masdalan and Dinesh Tripathi, submitted a petition requesting anticipatory bail in Sitapur.
On January 23, an MP-MLA court in Sitapur denied Rathore’s request for anticipatory bail.
