A special investigation team (SIT) in Uttarakhand has raised serious concerns over what it describes as deliberate attempts to portray a convicted murder case from Rishikesh as a suicide. The fresh scrutiny comes after an audio clip, allegedly featuring former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore and his purported second wife, Urmila Sanawar, began circulating widely.
SIT Condemns Attempts to Reopen Settled Case
Addressing a press conference at the district police headquarters in Dehradun on Saturday, SIT officers responded to media queries regarding the audio clip. Haridwar SP (rural) Shekhar Suyal, a member of the newly constituted SIT, stated that the clip suggested the victim, a resort receptionist, jumped into the Chilla barrage to escape pressure from the convicted accused to provide "extra services to a VIP."
However, Suyal, who was also part of the original SIT that probed the case, strongly countered this narrative. He emphasized that the police had conclusively established it as a murder, a finding accepted by the trial court and later upheld by the Nainital High Court. "Any attempt to project the case as a suicide raises serious questions about the intent behind such claims," Suyal asserted.
He reminded that during the initial investigation, police had clearly stated that no VIP was involved, and this was submitted before the court. The courts had categorically ruled the crime to be a murder, committed because the accused feared the woman would expose the pressure allegedly put on her to engage in immoral acts.
Police Appeal for Cooperation and Evidence
Leading the current SIT, Haridwar SP (city) Abhay Singh made a public appeal to Suresh Rathore and Urmila Sanawar to come forward and record their official statements. Singh revealed that the police have been trying to contact them for a considerable time, but their phones have been switched off.
"We assure them of full security and request them to cooperate with the probe and submit any evidence they may have," Singh said. He added that the audio clip and videos posted by Sanawar on social media have been sent to a cyber forensic laboratory for a thorough technical examination.
The SIT has also requested the public to share any information or evidence related to the case, promising full anonymity and security. Singh assured that the probe would be conducted in an unbiased and fair manner.
Case Background and Legal Standing
The Rishikesh resort murder case had shocked the state and the nation. The prosecution's case was that the receptionist was murdered, and three accused were subsequently convicted for the crime. With the chargesheet accepted and convictions secured, the SIT finds the emergence of new, unverified claims through an audio clip as unreasonable.
Shekhar Suyal stressed, "In such a sensitive case, where convictions have already been secured, making fresh and unverified claims is unreasonable." The SIT's current focus is to investigate the intent and authenticity behind the circulated audio clip and the new allegations, while reaffirming the integrity of the original investigation and judicial process.
