Overview
- Police in Dehradun and Haridwar registered fresh FIRs naming former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore and actor Urmila Sanawar after audio and video circulated alleging Gautam was the unnamed “VIP.”
- Dehradun and Haridwar police booked the duo under Section 67 of the IT Act and multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following complaints by Aarti Gaur and Dharmendra Kumar.
- Gautam wrote to the Uttarakhand Home Secretary seeking removal of the material, listed dozens of social media accounts he says spread it, and submitted a pen drive as evidence.
- The BJP leader released a video warning of defamation action, calling the content a criminal conspiracy, and said he would retire from public life if any wrongdoing is proven.
- Congress leaders pressed for a CBI probe monitored by a Supreme Court judge as Rathore denied the clips’ authenticity, calling them AI‑generated, and referenced past payments he claims were made under blackmail.