‘Reveals his intentions’: Uttrakhand minister on husband’s demand to withdraw FIR

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Women Empowerment and Child Development minister Rekha Arya has dismissed her husband’s corruption allegations as “100 per cent baseless”, saying her financial records are transparent and she is prepared to face an investigation.

Arya’s response came a day after her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, released a video accusing her of possessing illegal assets worth Rs 210 crore and urging the chief minister to order an inquiry. He did not provide any documentary evidence to support his claims.

The allegations came amid a police case registered against Sahu following a complaint by Arya, who has accused him of physical assault, harassment, caste-based slurs and death threats.

Speaking on Saturday, Arya said the burden of proof lay with the person making the allegations. “My life is an open book. Everything is documented, including my income tax returns. I intend to contest future elections. I believe everything is transparent, and nothing is hidden. Nevertheless, if anyone harbours any doubts, they are free to initiate an investigation so that the truth can be brought to light,” she said.

Sahu’s video, released on Friday, also questioned the authenticity of an audio recording shared by Arya on social media on Thursday evening. He alleged that the recording had been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) “to sow discord within the family” and dismissed the allegations against him as baseless.

In the video, Sahu appealed to Arya to withdraw the FIR and retract her statements, maintaining that the accusations against him were false.

Rejecting his claim that the recording was fabricated, Arya said, “I swear by my deity, Golju, that the audio is 100 per cent authentic. It has not been fabricated, nor was it created with the help of artificial intelligence."

Responding to Sahu’s demand that she withdraw the police complaint, Arya said his position suggested that he believed the allegations would disappear if she withdrew the case.

“Sahu-ji is saying that if I withdraw the complaint, all allegations will vanish. But if I do not withdraw it, the allegations will remain. This clearly reveals his intentions,” she said.

‘Women should not endure atrocities’

Arya also defended her decision to speak publicly about the allegations after filing the police complaint, saying women must raise their voices against domestic violence regardless of their social or professional standing.

She said her political career began in 2003, when she was elected as an independent Zila Panchayat member with the support of her maternal family. She subsequently entered the Legislative Assembly and went on to become a minister.

In his video, Sahu claimed that he had “elevated a woman found standing on the street to a position of prominence,” alleging that she had since forgotten his contribution because of the arrogance of her current position.

Arya, meanwhile, said women should not remain silent when subjected to abuse. “Women should not endure atrocities; they must speak out against them. Only then will this come to an end," she said.

The minister also thanked members of her party, opposition parties and the public for their support.

SIT formed to investigate allegations

A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate Arya’s allegations against her husband, officials said.

The FIR was registered at Dehradun’s Cantt police station on October 15 under relevant legal provisions, including three sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Arya had also released a video on social media detailing her allegations against Sahu. Following the complaint, her health deteriorated and she was hospitalised.

The SIT is tasked with investigating the allegations of physical assault, harassment, caste-based slurs and death threats levelled by the minister against her husband.