The Uttarakhand Police have written to their Delhi counterparts and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), seeking documents related to a 2016 and a 2003 case after a 39-year-old Assam woman levelled fresh rape allegations against Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat.
“It may take some time as we need to connect the dots. Verma added that they will record the complainant’s statement. The Uttarakhand Police initiated an inquiry and appointed Verma as the probe officer.
Rawat said that he was cleared during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led central government in 2003. He added that the Delhi Police also filed a final report closing the 2016 case after finding the charges untrue. On November 5, the woman submitted a fresh complaint to the Uttarakhand Police seeking a new DNA test to secure legal rights and paternity recognition for her 23-year-old son.
Vandana Verma, an Uttarakhand Police officer, said they will first gather information from the previous CBI and Delhi Police probes as they begin collecting evidence in connection with the fresh allegations.
Actor Urmila Sanawar released a purported telephonic recording that linked Gautam, the then BJP Uttarakhand in-charge, to the case. They could conduct a fake DNA test,” Rawat said on Monday. The 19-year-old was employed as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort near Rishikesh. In September 2022, resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and his two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, murdered her. In May 2025, a trial court convicted the three and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Rawat asked the BJP to ensure the CBI probe into the 2022 case is completed.
The receptionist’s murder case gained momentum after her parents demanded an investigation into the alleged involvement of a “VIP in the case. The clip triggered outrage, prompting the state government to order a CBI probe in January. He added he is open to a court-monitored DNA test. “I do not trust investigative agencies like the CBI under this regime. “If a court-monitored DNA test is ordered, I am completely ready for it. If even a single allegation is proven against me, I will retire from politics.”
