Dehradun: Former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore has been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into viral audio and video clips related to the alleged identification of a “VIP” in the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case, police officials said on Monday.
According to Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar, Rathore was detained from his office in Buggawala, Haridwar, and taken to Dalanwala police station in Dehradun, where he was formally arrested.
The arrest comes days after Rathore held a press conference claiming that the Uttarakhand High Court had quashed two of the four FIRs registered against him in connection with the circulation of the controversial clips. The cases had been lodged at Bahadrabad, Jhabrera, Dalanwala and Nehru Colony police stations.
The former legislator had maintained that investigations in the remaining two FIRs were continuing and said he was cooperating with the probe.
On June 4, the Uttarakhand High Court quashed two FIRs against Rathore. However, Justice Rakesh Thapliyal allowed police investigations to continue in the other two cases.
The controversy centres around audio and video clips allegedly circulated on social media in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Complainants Dushyant Gautam, BJP national general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge, and Aarti Gaur alleged that the material was intended to defame them.
Gautam was reportedly identified by Rathore as the alleged “VIP” mentioned in the clips, a claim that sparked political controversy.
Speaking to reporters last week, Rathore denied releasing any such audio or video material on social media and rejected allegations that he had made remarks against senior BJP leaders or the Uttarakhand chief minister. He said that if any of his statements had hurt sentiments, he regretted it, while alleging that a conspiracy was being carried out to damage his political career.
State minister Deshraj Karnwal later accused Rathore of presenting a misleading picture regarding the relief granted by the High Court.
The case is linked to the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district. She went missing in September 2022 and was later found dead, triggering widespread public outrage across the state. Three accused, including the resort owner, were subsequently arrested and later convicted for her murder.
