Uttarakhand Women and Child Development Minister Rekha Arya has filed an FIR against her husband Girdhari Lal Sahu, accusing him of assault, casteist abuse and conspiracy to murder. Arya, who is the BJP MLA from Someshwar in Almora district and a minister in the Pushkar Singh Dhami cabinet, has also alleged that Sahu hid his first marriage and had extramarital affairs.
In an emotional video posted on Thursday, the minister, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, said an audio clip had shaken her and raised doubts about her marriage, prompting her to approach the police for the safety of her minor children.
Breaking down as she spoke, she said, "Today, I have brought an audio recording before you. This audio has shaken me and raised questions about my relationship and my commitment to my married life. Does being truthful and honest lead to such consequences? After hearing this audio, despite the pain I am experiencing, I had to make the decision to file a police complaint to protect and ensure the safety of my children..."
Arya alleges that Sahu concealed a prior marriage, engaged in extramarital affairs, subjected her to physical assault and casteist abuse, forged her signatures on company documents, and conspired with another woman to murder her, as allegedly captured in the recording.
She further claims that Sahu used casteist slurs against her in front of staff at her government residence and forged her signature to show her as removed from her post as director in certain companies.
Along with the video, Arya posted two audio clips. In her complaint, she states that she recently received an audio recording in which Sahu, speaking to a woman, is allegedly heard conspiring to kill her. "The complainant and her minor children face a constant threat to their lives. This man can carry out a major incident at any time," the complaint reads.
For now, neither her husband nor the government had issued a comment. Later, she was admitted to the Krishna Medical Centre in Dehradun, where she underwent medical tests.
What Complaint Says
The FIR has been registered at the Cantonment police station in Dehradun, invoking charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, bigamy, cruelty by a husband, causing hurt, insult, and criminal intimidation, along with relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The complaint identifies her husband as Pappu Girdhari (Girdhari Lal Sahu), a resident of Jogi Nawada in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The couple was married on July 6, 2004.
Sahu had told Arya at the time of their marriage that he was unmarried. She learned "some years later" that he was already married and had children from that union. By then, she had children of her own, and she stated that she remained silent on her family's advice and "for the children's future".
Arya alleged that Sahu's behavior toward her changed recently after she discovered his "illicit relations" with other women. When she objected, he initially admitted his mistake and offered a written and oral apology, but failed to change. When she continued to oppose these relationships, he began assaulting and abusing her, and threatened to kill her.
"On several occasions, he used casteist words in a humiliating manner in front of staff at the complainant's government residence," the complaint states.
The complaint further alleges that Sahu forged her signature and used fabricated documents to show her as removed from the post of director in "concerned companies," noting that she "neither executed any such document nor submitted any resignation".
What She Said in Video
In her video, Arya stated that the audio had "shaken" her and "put a question mark on my relationship".
"Is this the result one gets for living with truth and honesty?" she asked.
"After hearing this audio, with pain in my heart, I had to take this decision. I had to file a complaint with the police to protect my children, for the safety of my children," she said.
"Whether a woman is ordinary or prominent, she must not bear domestic atrocities. She must not bear them; she must speak out," Arya added.
She stated that she had always discharged her duties "with the Constitution as witness" and would continue to do so, noting that her maternal family had always stood by her. "Even in this pain, I have not forgotten my duty... For anything further, I am speechless," she concluded.
This fresh controversy unfolds ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly elections in 2027.