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Ex-BJP MLA Suresh Rathore gets arrest shield from Uttarakhand high court
Justice Ashish Naithani barred the police from taking any coercive action against the former MLA in connection with cases filed against him
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Tuesday granted interim relief to former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Suresh Rathore, staying his arrest in cases registered against him for his alleged statements linking a senior party leader to the 2022 Pauri Garhwal receptionist murder case.
Justice Ashish Naithani barred the police from taking any coercive action against the former MLA in connection with cases filed at the Bahadrabad police station in Haridwar district and Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun district.
The court also issued notices to the state government and the complainants, seeking their responses within four weeks.
Lawyer Vaibhav Singh Chauhan, who appeared for Suresh Rathore, challenged the police cases filed against him in the high court.
“The court has granted interim protection from arrest and has issued notices to the respondents. The petitions seek quashing of the FIRs filed against him,” Chauhan told reporters after the hearing.
Police officers said four FIRs were registered against Rathore on charges that he circulated videos and audio clips on social media platforms to tarnish BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s reputation.
Of these, one FIR was lodged at Bahadrabad police station in Haridwar on a complaint from Dharmendra Kumar, president of the Shiromani Guru Ravidas Vishva Mahapeeth. The second case was registered at Jhabrera police station on a complaint of Sanchit Kumar of Jhabrera area. The third FIR was filed at Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun on the complaint of former local BJP leader Arti Gaur, whose name was mentioned in the alleged audio. The fourth FIR was registered at Dalanwala police station in Dehradun on BJP national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s complaint.
