'Extortion bid, death threat': Actress Urmila Sanawar arrested on complaint by ex-BJP MLA's daughter

Actress Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, was arrested by the Haridwar Police on Sunday after Rathore's daughter filed a complaint accusing her of demanding an extortion payment of ₹5 crore, issuing death threats, and posting objectionable comments on social media, officials said.

The arrest comes days after Rathore and Sanawar gave their consent before a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Dehradun on Friday to undergo polygraph and narco-analysis tests as part of the ongoing probe into the Pauri Garhwal receptionist murder case.

In her complaint filed at the Ranipur police station in Haridwar, Suresh Rathore's daughter, Deepika Rathore, alleged that Sanawar made a WhatsApp call to her demanding ₹5 crore and demanding that her father transfer the Ravidas Dham property to Sanawar's name, threatening to kill her family if the demands were not met.

Deepika further alleged that Sanawar tarnished her family's image by telling the media that her father had illicit relationships and threatening to beat him with slippers on court premises.

Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against Sanawar under Sections 308(5)(7) (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 356(3) (punishment for defamation), and 356(2) (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 4 (prohibition of publication or distribution of material containing indecent representation of women) and 10 (procedural rule-making powers under the Act) of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act on Sunday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navneet Singh said, “A police team led by the Ranipur police station inspector conducted a raid at the accused's residence in Saharanpur on Sunday and took her into custody. The mobile phone used in committing the crime was also recovered from her possession.”

On Friday, while appearing before the CBI court to give her consent for the narco test, Sanawar made sharp claims before reporters. “If my narco test is conducted on camera, all the secrets behind the Pauri Garhwal murder and other crimes buried inside me will be exposed,” she said. Asked about Rathore refusing to accept her as his wife, she claimed she would hit him with her slipper inside the court premises.

The fresh momentum in the probe comes after the victim's parents demanded an investigation into the alleged involvement of a "VIP in the case." The controversy triggered after Sanawar released a purported telephonic recording with Rathore that linked then BJP Uttarakhand in-charge - and current Sikkim Governor - Dushyant Kumar Gautam to the case. The audio clip triggered widespread public outrage across Uttarakhand, prompting the state government to order a CBI probe on January 11.

The political tension intensified following Gautam’s appointment as Governor, with the victim's parents staging protests in New Delhi demanding the cancellation of his appointment.

The 19-year-old victim, a resident of Pauri Garhwal district, was employed as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar near Rishikesh. On September 18, 2022, she was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of then BJP leader Vinod Arya, and his two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta.

In May 2025, a trial court in Kotdwar convicted all three accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment.