Sitapur Congress MP Rakesh Rathore walks out of jail after getting bail in rape case

A file image of Congress MP Rakesh Rathore

Congress MP Rakesh Rathore walked out of the Sitapur jail on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) morning, a day after a local court granted him bail in a rape case.

Mr. Rathore was arrested on January 30 and had been lodged in jail since then.

“We have secured the bail at the earliest and are thankful to the system. The MP, his well-wishers and supporters are very happy,” the lawmaker’s brother Anil Rathore told reporters outside the jail.

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Mr. Rathore on March 11 in the case filed under Section 64 (rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

However, on the same day, Sitapur police filed a chargesheet adding Section 69 (sexual intercourse by deceit) of the BNS, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, preventing Ms. Rathore’s immediate release and forcing him to apply for bail again in a lower court.

On Tuesday (March 18, 2025), Chief Judicial Magistrate Gaurav Prakash granted him bail in the Section 69 case. Two bail bonds of ₹1 lakh each were furnished on the MP’s behalf in court, his lawyer Vijay Kumar Singh said.

According to police and prosecution, Mr. Rathore allegedly raped a 45-year-old woman on the pretext of marriage and after promising to help her political career.

The MP was taken into custody from his residence on January 30 while he was addressing a press conference to clarify his stance on the allegations.