Congress MP Rakesh Rathore discharged by Allahabad HC in Sitapur rape case

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has discharged Congress MP Rakesh Rathore from a rape case filed in Sitapur. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi ruled that the evidence suggested a long-standing consensual extramarital relationship between Rathore and the complainant, rather than a relationship established under a promise of marriage.

The court noted that the complainant had met Rathore at public gatherings and subsequently received political support, leading to her appointment as the district women’s president of the Tailik Mahasangh. The bench also cited statements from the complainant’s husband, which indicated that Rathore frequently summoned her to his home and that she would occasionally stay there late into the night.

While the court acknowledged that the complainant’s husband, son, and daughter-in-law supported her allegations, the bench concluded that the prosecution's narrative was not credible to a person of ordinary prudence. The court stated that continuing the criminal proceedings based on such contradictory and unfounded allegations would constitute an ‘abuse of the process of law’ and result in a failure of justice.