Former BJP leader Vinod Arya accused of ‘attempting to sodomize’ his driver, FIR registered

The FIR against Vinod Arya is registered at the Jwalapur police station of Haridwar under Sections 377 (unnatural offences), 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to RK Saklani, the station house officer (SHO) of Jwalapur police station, the driver was employed by Vinod Arya through OLX in November as he had to make frequent visits owing to the ongoing case against his son.

“Vinod Arya was regularly visiting Pauri jail and thus he needed a driver. Vinod also provided him with a room at his Haridwar residence. According to the complaint, on two to three occasions, Vinod called the driver to his room at night and asked him for a massage. The driver alleged that Vinod tried to molest him during the massage sessions. The driver said he initially believed things would change and so did not immediately inform the police. Last month, when Vinod was visiting his son in Pauri jail, he went inside with the lawyer and left their phone and wallet with the driver. The driver allegedly escaped and Vinod accused the driver of taking Rs 25,000 with him,” said the SHO.

Govind Kumar, SHO of Pauri Kotwali police station, confirmed that Vinod Arya told the police that his driver escaped with some money when he and his lawyer were visiting Pulkit Arya in Pauri jail. However, no formal case was registered.

“The driver went to his home in Uttar Pradesh and on September 25 returned to Haridwar to take his documents. There must have been some confrontation at Arya’s residence, and the driver slit his wrist. Vinod Arya provided first aid, admitted the driver to a hospital, and informed the police. The in-charge of the local police outpost went to the hospital but the driver was not there. His location suggested that he was on his way to his village. On December 9, the driver sent an application to the SSP office grievance cell. The next day, I called and requested him to come and get his complaint registered, but he did not arrive. However, an FIR was registered late Tuesday night,” added Jwalapur SHO.

The driver has also accused Vinod Arya of beating him up when he came to Haridwar last month to settle the dispute. He also alleged that recently he was out on his bike when a few people rammed into his bike with the intention to kill him. Jwalapur circle officer (CO) Niharika Semwal said the complainant is with them and more details could be shared only after his official statement is recorded.

Earlier on September 18, Ankita Bhandari, who was working as a receptionist at a resort owned by Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit Arya, was allegedly killed by Pulkit and two others. The trio reportedly tried to build up a false narrative that Ankita went missing from her room in the resort, but after electronic and circumstantial evidence suggested otherwise, the accused confessed to having pushed her into the Chilla canal following an altercation. The state government later formed an SIT headed by DIG P Renuka Devi to investigate the matter.

After the incident came into the limelight, the Uttarakhand BJP expelled his father Vinod Arya, and elder brother Ankit Arya from the party. The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government also removed Ankit from his post as the Uttarakhand OBC Commission vice president.