Sitapur Cong MP Rakesh Rathor Walks Out Of Jail After Getting Bail In Rape Case

Congress MP Rakesh Rathor walked out of Sitapur jail on Wednesday morning, a day after a local court granted him bail in a rape case. As he stepped out of prison, the lawmaker maintained his innocence, saying, "If I had committed this crime, I would ask for a stricter punishment from God than those who wished for severe punishment for me."

Rathor, who had been in jail since January 30, also expressed gratitude to those who supported him. "Thanks to everyone and a million thanks to God. Besides this, my gratitude goes to all those who prayed and wished for my release," he told reporters.

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The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court granted Rathor bail 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 against him, adding Section 69 (sexual intercourse by deceit) of the BNS, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

This prevented his immediate release and forced him to apply for bail again in a lower 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, Rathor 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. Rathor dismissed claims about lack of support from Congress.

"That is not the case. Rahul (Gandhi) ji was in constant touch with my family. I chose not to involve the party in this matter because the opposition wanted to politicise the issue, which I did not want," he said. He apologised to the people of his constituency for his absence.

"The way I was serving the people, I apologize for not being among them. They entrusted me with their service by electing me to Parliament and I could not fulfil that duty. But from now on, I will be fully dedicated to serving the people, day and night," he said. The MP's brother, Anil Rathor, expressed relief after his release. "We have secured the bail at the earliest and are thankful to the system. The MP, his well-wishers, and supporters are very happy," he said.