Dehradun, Nov. 8 -- The Uttarakhand Police on Friday arrested state cabinet minister Rekha Arya's husband and his nephew in connection with a case involving allegations of domestic violence, casteist abuse, forgery and a conspiracy to murder the minister. Girdhari Lal Sahu (61), who had allegedly been evading arrest and fled to Nepal, was arrested near a private university in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. His nephew, Satendra Rathore (40), was arrested from Bareilly in the same state, police said. On October 15, Arya lodged a complaint in Dehradun accusing her husband of forgery, domestic violence, caste-based harassment and conspiring to murder her. An FIR was subsequently registered at the Cantt police station. Arya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from the Someshwar constituency in Almora, alleged that Sahu had concealed his previous marriage before marrying her and continued relationships with other women. She further alleged that Sahu, in collusion with another woman, was plotting to kill her. The minister also accused him of forging her signatures on documents to remove her from administrative positions without her knowledge or consent. Sahu was booked under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 420 (cheating), 467, 468 and 471 (forgery), 495 (concealing former marriage), 498-A (cruelty by husband or relatives), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Arya also released a video statement on Facebook, along with two audio clips of purported phone conversations between Sahu and another woman. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the recordings. Refuting the allegations, Sahu claimed that the audio clips were AI-generated. He, in turn, accused Arya of amassing illegal assets worth Rs.210 crore and urged chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to order an inquiry against her. A nine-member special investigation team (SIT), led by SP Rural Jaya Baloni, was constituted to investigate the case. Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal said the SIT had seized audio clips related to the case and recorded detailed statements from several witnesses. "During the investigation, the SIT seized audio clips related to the case and recorded detailed statements from multiple witnesses. On the basis of preliminary evidence, allegations such as using casteist slurs, conspiring to kill her, and forging documents to remove her as director in four companies have been substantiated during the probe," he said. "Sahu colluded with his nephew Satendra Rathore to forge the minister's signatures and fabricate documents," the SSP said. "The duo used the forged records to illegally remove the minister from directorship in four companies, Devo Ke Dev Mahadev, Bankhandi Rudraksh Dham, Shree Ambe Auto Dealers Private Limited, and Shree Bankhandi Dham Developers Private Limited, to secure wrongful gains and appoint Rathore as a director in her place," Dobhal added. "After Rathore's active involvement in the matter came to light, his name was formally added to the FIR," he said. Dobhal said Sahu was a habitual offender with at least 44 criminal cases registered against him at various police stations in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, rioting and offences under the Gangster Act. "Following a tip-off, a team arrested Sahu from Jhansi in UP on Friday, while another arrested Rathore from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh," he said. Sahu's arrest comes two days after the Uttarakhand high court dismissed his petition seeking protection from arrest and the quashing of criminal charges against him. Justice Alok Mahra observed that the allegations prima facie disclosed serious cognisable offences and could not be dismissed as a mere matrimonial dispute....