Uttarakhand Minister Rekha Arya Accuses Husband Of Assault, Caste Abuse; Files FIR

Uttarakhand Women and Child Development Minister Rekha Arya has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, accusing him of physical assault, caste-based abuse, forgery and conspiring to kill her and their children.

Arya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Someshwar, made the allegations public in a video posted on Facebook on Thursday, October 15, in which she broke down while describing her distress. She was admitted to a hospital in Dehradun later that day for medical tests.

Arya alleged that Sahu, also known as Pappu Girdhari, had concealed an earlier marriage, continued relationships with other women and threatened her after she objected.

She also claimed he used casteist slurs against her in front of staff at her official residence and forged her signature on documents to remove her from directorship positions in certain companies.

The allegations have not been independently established, and Sahu had not publicly responded at the time of publication.

The FIR was registered at the Cantonment police station in Dehradun and invokes provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, bigamy, cruelty by a husband, causing hurt, criminal intimidation and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Arya has sought protection for herself and her minor children, alleging that an audio recording she received contained a conversation in which Sahu was conspiring with a woman to kill her. The authenticity and context of the recording have not been independently verified.

What Rekha Arya Alleged In Her Complaint

According to her complaint, Arya married Sahu under Hindu rites on July 6, 2004, after he allegedly told her that he was unmarried. She said she discovered several years later that he had already been married and had children from that relationship. Arya alleged that she remained silent at the time, following advice from her family and considering the future of her own children.

Arya further alleged that Sahu's behaviour changed in recent months and that he continued relationships with other women despite apologising when confronted. She claimed that when she objected, he began assaulting and abusing her and threatening to kill her. She also alleged that documents bearing forged signatures were used to show her as having resigned or been removed from directorship positions, despite her not having signed any such documents.

In her video, Arya said she approached the police out of concern for her children's safety. She also urged women facing domestic abuse not to remain silent, saying that no woman should have to endure such treatment, regardless of her public standing.

Political Reaction And Investigation

The Congress criticised the BJP-led Uttarakhand government over the allegations and called for a fair investigation, a forensic examination of the audio recording and action if the claims are proved. Party spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni also asked Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to clarify what steps had been taken to ensure Arya's safety.

The case has drawn attention because Arya is a serving minister in the state government. However, the allegations against her husband remain subject to investigation, and the registration of an FIR does not establish guilt. At the time of reporting, there had been no public response from Sahu or the state government, according to NDTV.