- Actress Urmila Sanawar arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- Complaint by ex-BJP MLA's daughter over social media posts.
- Arrest precedes narco test in Ankita Bhandari murder case.
Actress Urmila Sanawar, who made a sensational claim of a 'VIP link' to the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur in connection with a complaint filed by the daughter of former Uttarakhand BJP MLA Suresh Rathore over objectionable social media posts.
Sanwar Claims To Be Wife Of Complainant's Father
The entire matter looks like a family drama which has an alleged link with a high-profile murder case. In the past, Sanwar claimed to be the wife of Suresh Rathore. However, Suresh refuted her claim to be his wife.
#WATCH | Haridwar, Uttarakhand: On actress Urmila Sanawar’s arrest SP City, Haridwar Deepak Singh says, "... Deepika Rathore filed a written complaint at Ranipur Police Station on the night of 24 October, against Urmila Sanawar for obscene and derogatory remarks on social media, damage to her family’s reputation and attempts to transfer Ravidas Dham property into the accused’s name in connection with Rs 5 crore. Given the sensitivity of the case, the Haridwar SSP formed a team, which arrested Urmila Sanawar in Saharanpur. Nine cases had previously been registered against the accused, who has been produced before a magistrate for judicial custody."
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2026
What Is The Matter Which Led To Sanwar's Arrest
According to police, Sanawar allegedly posted obscene and defamatory remarks on social media-thereby outraging the complainant's modesty and tarnishing her family's reputation- and made WhatsApp calls demanding the transfer of a property to her name, along with a demand for Rs 5 crore and threats to kill the complainant.
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Police said the case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 4 and 10 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
Haridwar police on Sunday took custody of Sanawar from Saharanpur. "Action was taken on a complaint filed by Deepika Rathore on Saturday night. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the matter, a team was formed, and this team arrested the accused Urmila Sanawar from Saharanpur," SP City for Haridwar, Deepak Singh said.
Earlier, police, without revealing the identity of the woman, shared that they have registered a case and made the arrest within 12 hours of the complaint being filed. However, a video surfaced on social media, showing the arrested woman purportedly to be Sanawar. She was due to appear in a Dehradun court on Monday in connection with the CBI enquiry into the murder case.
Sanawar, Suresh Agree For Narco Test In Ankita Bhandari Case
Just two days ago, both Sanawar and Suresh gave their consent before a CBI court here for undergoing narco-analysis test in connection with the murder case. The CBI had issued notices to Sanawar and Rathore regarding an audio clip that mentions a "VIP" link to the crime. Sanawar alleged the involvement of the 'VIP' in the murder of Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, on September 18, 2022.
After Ankita's murder, resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
(With PTI inputs)