Embroiled in Ankita murder case, ex-MLA Suresh Rathore booked in another matter

Former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, already facing multiple cases linked to the Ankita Bhandari murder, has been named in another FIR after a contractor accused him of not returning his car, Uttarakhand Police said on Sunday.

The case was registered at Jwalapur police station in Haridwar on court directions. Police said the complainant, Rajesh Kumar Gautam, alleged criminal breach of trust, use of abusive language and death threats.

According to the complaint, Gautam, a resident of Jwalapur, said he had given his car to Rathore for a few days due to their friendship. However, Rathore allegedly failed to return the vehicle despite repeated requests and later abused and threatened him when pressed for its return.

Police said Gautam had approached the police several times but received no response, forcing him to move the court, which subsequently ordered registration of an FIR.

Rathore is already facing several FIRs along with actress Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be his wife, after she released videos and audio recordings on social media alleging the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. In one of the videos, Sanawar named BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the alleged ‘VIP’, following which FIRs were registered against the duo in Dehradun and Haridwar.

An investigation into the latest complaint is underway, Jwalapur Kotwali in-charge Kundan Singh Rana said.

With PTI inputs