The Uttarakhand High Court has restrained the state police from arresting former Sitarganj Municipal Council chairman Harish Dubey in a case alleging that he hurt religious sentiments. The court has asked the state government to file its response within three weeks.
Dubey moved the court seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him, contending that the complaint was politically motivated. Justice Ashish Naithani, while hearing the petition, issued notice to BJP councillor Deepak Gupta, who had filed the complaint leading to the FIR.
During the proceedings, Dubey stated that Gupta lodged the case on December 3, triggering continuous police raids in an attempt to arrest him. He further claimed that a tampered video was being circulated due to political rivalry.
The court took note of the submissions and directed that the petitioner must cooperate with the investigation. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on February 20, 2026.
Pending further consideration, the High Court issued notice to Gupta and ordered a stay on Dubey’s arrest.
