The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench on Wednesday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Congress MP Rakesh Rathore, who is accused of sexually exploiting a woman. The decision was issued by Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan following a detailed review of the bail application.
Rakesh Rathore, representing Sitapur, faced allegations from a woman claiming that he had sexually exploited her over the past four years under the pretext of promising marriage. The case against Rathore was formally registered by the police on January 17, following the woman’s complaint.
During the court proceedings, Rathore’s defense argued that the allegations were baseless and highlighted the delay in the filing of the complaint, which occurred four years after the alleged incidents. Rathore’s attorney stated that this delay and the subsequent charges were tactics meant to falsely implicate the MP.
In contrast, the plaintiff’s legal team countered that the delay was due to the woman’s fear of Rathore’s influence, given his position as a prominent public figure and a respected leader in the community.
After rejecting the anticipatory bail plea, the court directed MP Rakesh Rathore to surrender to the sessions court within two weeks. Additionally, the court instructed that any subsequent bail plea filed by Rathore should be expedited and resolved without unnecessary delays.
This legal setback for Rathore follows the MP-MLA court in Sitapur’s decision on January 23, which also denied him anticipatory bail. The case continues to draw attention as it involves a sitting Member of Parliament and raises significant questions about the conduct of public officials outside their official duties.
