Congress MP Rakesh Rathor Walks out of Sitapur Jail After Getting Bail in Rape Case

Sitapur, March 19: Congress MP Rakesh Rathor walked out of the Sitapur jail on Wednesday morning, a day after a local court granted him bail in a rape case. Rathor was arrested on January 30 and had been lodged in jail since then. "We have secured the bail at the earliest and are thankful to the system. The MP, his well-wishers and supporters are very happy," the lawmaker's brother Anil Rathor told reporters outside the jail. Congress MP Rakesh Rathore Gets Bail in Rape Case.

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Rathor on March 11 in the case filed under Section 64 (rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). However, on the same day, Sitapur police filed a chargesheet adding Section 69 (sexual intercourse by deceit) of the BNS, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, preventing Rathore's immediate release and forcing him to apply for bail again in a lower court. Notion That Indian Women Won't Make False Sexual Assault Allegations Outdated; in Recent Years, False Rape Cases Being Filed To Settle Personal Scores, Says Kerala High Court.

On Tuesday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Gaurav Prakash granted him bail in the Section 69 case. Two bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh each were furnished on the MP's behalf in court, his lawyer Vijay Kumar Singh said. According to police and prosecution, Rathore allegedly raped a 45-year-old woman on the pretext of marriage and after promising to help her political career. The MP was taken into custody from his residence on January 30 while he was addressing a press conference to clarify his stance on the allegations.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)