Congress MP Rakesh Rathore was granted bail on Tuesday by a local court in Sitapur, paving the way for his release from jail, according to his lawyer.
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court granted Rakesh Rathore bail on March 11 in a rape case filed under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
However, on the same day, Sitapur police filed a charge sheet adding Section 69 of BNS (sexual intercourse by deceit), which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.
The development obstructed Rakesh Rathore’s immediate release and he was forced to apply for bail again in a lower court.
On Tuesday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Gaurav Prakash granted him bail in the Section 69 case. Two bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh each were furnished on his behalf in court, the MP’s lawyer Vijay Kumar Singh said.
Rakesh Rathore was arrested on January 30 and has been lodged in Sitapur district jail since then.
According to police and prosecution, he is accused of raping a 45-year-old woman under the pretext of marriage and promising to help her in her political career.
The MP was taken into custody from his residence while he was addressing a press conference to clarify his stance on the allegations.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
