By Arun Pratap Singh
Haridwar, 28 Jan: Controversies and former and expelled BJP MLA Suresh Rathore are never far away. An advocate has levelled serious allegations of verbal abuse and physical assault against the son of Suresh Rathore, following which SIDCUL Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. Shiv Pratap Singh, son of Suresh Rathore, also a lawyer, has been booked on the basis of a formal complaint. It may be reminded that Rathore is currently in the news over viral social media posts of Urmila Sanawar allegedly linked to Ankita Bhandari murder case.
At the same time, in a separate incident, Congress MLA Engineer Ravi Bahadur has accused by another Congress worker of threatening him.
This controversy has surfaced in the Jwalapur Kotwali area where Congress MLA Ravi Bahadur was accused of threatening a worker belonging to his own party. In both the unrelated incidents, the police have begun inquiries on the basis of the complaints received.
In connection with the allegations against Rathore’s son, police officials said that advocate Chandramohan, who practises in the District and Sessions Court at Roshanabad, Haridwar, submitted a complaint relating to an incident that allegedly took place on the evening of 21 January. Chandramohan stated that he was standing near some restaurants along with fellow advocates when Shiv Pratap Singh arrived in an inebriated condition and began hurling abuse at them. According to the complaint, when the advocates objected to his behaviour, the accused allegedly assaulted them using a belt and a metal bangle worn on his hand. Chandramohan further alleged that Shiv Pratap Singh threatened to implicate the advocates in false cases under the SC/ST Act by citing his father’s political influence and sought strict action from the police.
On the other hand, denying the allegations, Shiv Pratap Singh has claimed that the charges levelled against him are completely false and baseless. He claimed that Chandramohan had been harbouring animosity against him for several days and that the incident was limited to a minor verbal altercation related to alleged discrimination during a party. He stated that being well-versed in the law, he would respond to the allegations through appropriate legal means. SIDCUL SHO Nitesh Sharma confirmed that a case has been registered under relevant sections on the basis of the complaint and that further action will be taken after a detailed investigation.
Meanwhile in the other case, Congress MLA from the Jwalapur assembly constituency Engineer Ravi Bahadur has been accused of threatening his own party worker over a telephone call. Congress leader Jitendra Chaudhary has submitted a complaint at the Jwalapur Kotwali seeking police protection. In his complaint, Chaudhary alleged that Ravi Bahadur issued death threats to him during a telephonic conversation and warned him of serious consequences. He claimed that the persistent pressure has created a sense of fear for him and his family.
Independent sources have also claimed that an audio recording related to the threatening incident is stated to be in circulation on social media. However, Ravi Bahadur has rejected the allegations, claiming them to be a political conspiracy. He claimed that the character of a person who can make allegations even against his own father can be judged on its own, asserting that the complaint is the outcome of old political rivalries. At the same time, Jwalapur Kotwali in-charge Kundan Singh Rana said the complaint has been received and appropriate action will be taken after conducting an inquiry, adding that the matter appears to be linked to long-standing political enmity.
