Arya, the state's women empowerment and child development minister, later shared a video.
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand cabinet minister Rekha Arya has filed a police complaint against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, also known as Pappu Girdhari, accusing him of physical assault, cheating, forgery and conspiring to kill her.The FIR was registered at Garhi Cantt police station around 7.25pm on Thursday under 13 sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and Section 420 (cheating). It 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, later shared a video on social media, explaining why she had approached the police.
She alleged that the recording contained a conversation in which Sahu discussed a conspiracy to kill her and said she feared for the safety of her minor children.
‘Shaken’ by the recording
In her video statement, Arya said the audio had "shaken" her and "put a question mark on my relationship"."Is this the result one gets for living with truth and honesty?" she asked."After hearing this audio, with pain in my heart, I had to take this decision. I had to file a complaint with the police to protect my children, for the safety of my children," she said.
Arya alleged that the conversation indicated a threat to her life. She said she feared that Sahu could commit a serious crime against her or her children.The minister was taken to hospital after reporting that she felt unwell. Further details about her condition were not immediately available.
What the audio allegedly reveals
The 8-minute-27-second recording, shared by the minister, 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.TOI could not independently verify the veracity of the audio recordings.
Allegations of deception and assault
In her complaint, Arya said she married Sahu in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on July 6, 2004. She alleged that he had represented 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 subsequently became involved with other women. She claimed that he offered written and verbal apologies when confronted but continued the relationships.The complaint alleges that his behaviour became violent when she objected.The FIR states: "upon opposing these relationships, Girdhari Lal 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. She said the abuse and threats continued, leaving her fearful for her safety and that of her children.
Forgery allegations and appeal to women
The minister also 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 alleged that she had neither signed the documents nor submitted any resignation.In her video statement, Arya urged women not to remain silent in the face of domestic abuse, regardless of their social or public standing."Whether a woman is ordinary or prominent, she must not bear domestic atrocities. She must not bear them; she must speak out," she said.Arya added that she had always discharged her duties "with the Constitution as witness" and would continue to do so. She also said her maternal family had consistently supported her.
"Even in this pain, I have not forgotten my duty... For anything further, I am speechless," she said.