Who is Rekha Arya? Uttarakhand BJP minister files FIR against husband for assault, caste abuse and death threats

Rekha Arya, a cabinet minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand, has filed an FIR against her husband Girdhari Lal Sahu, accusing him of physical assault, harassment, caste-based slurs and death threats.

Hours after she posted a video about the allegations against her husband on Facebook on Thursday, Arya was admitted to Krishna Medical Center in Dehradun for treatment.

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

In the FIR, Arya said that she belongs to Scheduled Caste and Sahu was aware of it from the beginning. She claimed that at the time of their marriage, Sahu cheated her by claiming that he was not married.

Illicit relations

“A few years later, I found out the truth: he was already married and had children from a previous marriage. However, we had children of our own at that time; on the advice of family members – and for the sake of our children’s future – I decided to remain silent,” a copy of the FIR filed by Arya said.

She further alleged that Sahu “maintains illicit relations with other women”.

“When I objected, he first admitted his wrongdoing and offered a written and verbal apology; however, he continued this behavior even after these apologies. When I objected to these relationships, Girdhari Lal Sahu started subjecting me to physical and verbal abuse and even threatened to kill me,” the FIR states.

Arya further mentions that she recently obtained an audio recording of Sahu conspiring with a woman to kill her.

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After filing the FIR, Arya posted the video and the aforementioned audio recording on the social media platform. According to the minister, after listening to the audio, she decided to contact the police, saying that with this step she ensured the safety of her children.

Urging women to speak out against domestic abuse, Rekha Arya said, “Whether a woman is common or prominent – domestic abuse should not be tolerated; it needs to be spoken out against.”

Arya, BJP MLA from Someshwar in Almora district. The site is reserved for Scheduled Caste community in Almora district. She is the Minister for Women and Child Welfare in the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government in Uttarakhand.

Arya hails from Someshwar, Almora District, Uttarakhand and is married to Girdhari Lal Sahu. She completed her M.Com. from Kumaon University, Nainital and also did her B.Ed. at the same university in 2002.

She won from the Someshwar Assembly constituency representing the BJP’s 2022 Legislative Assembly elections in Uttarakhand, defeating her nearest rival, Rajendra Barakoti of the Congress, by a margin of 5,293 votes.

Aryabe became an MLA for the first time when he won the 2014 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly election and retained the seat in the 2017 Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly election.

In the 2012 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly elections, she lost to an independent candidate from the same Someshwar constituency with Ajay Tamta.

The Congress termed the episode as “a matter of utter shame for the BJP government”.

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“If the minister of state herself says that her life is threatened by her husband and files a police complaint against him, it is certainly a matter of utter shame for the government,” Congress spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni said.

She demanded that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami explain what steps were taken for Arya’s safety and what action was taken based on the complaint.

“Our demand is clear: the complaint should be fairly investigated, the audio should be forensically examined and if the allegations are proved, strict action in accordance with the law. Women’s safety is not a political slogan, it is the government’s responsibility,” she said.

“Whether a woman is ordinary or prominent – domestic abuse should not be tolerated; it must be spoken out against.” — Rekha Arya

The state is going to the polls at the end of next year.