The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench has deferred the bail plea of Congress MP Rakesh Rathor to February 24, due to a lack of time for the hearing. Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan, presiding over the matter, instructed the involved parties to submit their responses before the adjourned date.
Rathor, who faces charges of sexual exploitation, was initially arrested on January 30, immediately after his anticipatory bail was denied by the court on January 29. The denial of bail led to his subsequent remand to judicial custody. The arrest took place during a press conference held at his residence, following a rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by an MP/MLA court in Sitapur on January 23.
The case against Rathor stems from allegations made by a woman on January 15, claiming she was sexually exploited by him for four years. In her complaint, she accuses Rathor of raping her multiple times under the guise of promises of marriage and assisting her in advancing her political career.
Following the complaint and subsequent legal proceedings, Rathor has been detained at the Sitapur District Jail. His legal team, comprising advocates Arvind Masdalan and Dinesh Tripathi, had earlier sought anticipatory bail from the Sitapur court on January 20, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
