Uttarakhand minister Rekha Arya accuses husband of assault, forgery, plot to kill her; FIR registered

Uttarakhand cabinet minister Rekha Arya has filed a police complaint against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, accusing him of physical assault, cheating, forgery, and conspiring to kill her. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Garhi Cantt police station around 7.25pm on Thursday under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 420 (cheating). The FIR also invokes three provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Arya, the state’s women empowerment and child development minister, shared a video on social media explaining her reasons for approaching the police. In her video statement, Arya said the audio recording had "shaken" her and "put a question mark on my relationship." She asked, "Is this the result one gets for living with truth and honesty?" After listening to the recording, she said she felt compelled to file the complaint to protect her children. Arya alleged that the conversation indicated a threat to her life and that she feared Sahu could commit a serious crime against her or her children. She was taken to hospital after reporting that she felt unwell, though further details about her condition were not immediately available. The 8-minute-27-second recording, shared by Arya, purportedly captures Sahu speaking to a woman about bail and the possibility of her going to jail. In the recording, Sahu can allegedly be heard reassuring the woman, calling her "mere babu, mere babu," that he would be there for her and that she would get bail. He then discusses the possibility of her being denied bail and having to go to jail. The woman reportedly asks why she would go to jail and expresses concern that the news would become public and damage her image. Sahu appears to reassure her that nothing would come out. The recording also allegedly contains Sahu assuring the woman that Arya would be dead, along with abusive language. The audio and video were shared on the minister’s social media handles. Verification of the audio recordings could not be independently confirmed. Arya alleged that she married Sahu in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on July 6, 2004. She said he had misrepresented himself as unmarried despite having a wife and children from an earlier marriage. According to the complaint, she discovered the alleged deception several years later but remained silent for the sake of their children. Arya further alleged that Sahu became involved with other women and that, when confronted, he offered written and verbal apologies but continued the relationships. The FIR states that upon opposing these relationships, Sahu started physically assaulting, abusing, and threatening to kill the applicant. Arya also alleged that Sahu used caste-based slurs against her in front of staff at her official residence. Arya accused Sahu of forging her signature and preparing fabricated documents to show that she had retired as a director of companies with which she was associated. She claimed she had neither signed the documents nor submitted any resignation. The allegations will require verification of the relevant corporate records and signatures as part of the investigation. The FIR lists offences under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 467, 468 and 471 (forgery and use of forged documents), 495 (concealment of a previous marriage), 498A (cruelty by a husband), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It also invokes provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The FIR was registered at the Cantonment police station in Dehradun on October 15. Inspector Santosh Singh Kunwar is leading the investigation. Arya posted a video statement on Facebook and shared two audio recordings of purported phone calls between her husband and another woman. Verification of the audio recordings could not be independently confirmed. Sahu, who is from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, had not responded to the allegations against him as of the latest reports. Arya said she married Sahu on July 6, 2004, according to Hindu rites and customs. She identified herself as a member of a Scheduled Caste notified in Uttarakhand and alleged that her husband, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, does not belong to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe community. She said she discovered several years later that he had already been married and had children from that marriage. By then, she said, they had children together, and she remained silent following advice from family members and out of concern for her children's future. The minister further alleged that Sahu's behaviour towards her had changed in recent times and that she discovered his alleged relationships with other women. According to the complaint, when she opposed these relationships, he initially acknowledged his alleged wrongdoing and apologised both verbally and in writing. However, she claimed that he continued the alleged relationships despite those apologies. Arya alleged that her objections led to physical assaults, verbal abuse, and threats to kill her. She also accused Sahu of entering her government residence on several occasions and using derogatory caste-based slurs against her. The complaint also accuses Sahu of forging Arya's signatures on documents submitted to companies to show that she had stepped down as a company director. Arya claimed she had neither signed any such documents nor submitted a resignation. A recent audio recording forms another central part of the complaint. Arya alleged that she received a recording in which Sahu was speaking to a woman and conspiring to kill her. Citing the recording and the alleged threats, the minister said she feared for her own life as well as the safety of her minor children. She warned that her husband could carry out a serious incident at any time and urged the Cantonment police to register an FIR and initiate legal proceedings against him.