By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Uttarakhand Police on Saturday said they have arrested Girdhari Lal Sahu, husband of state Women Empowerment and Child Development Minister Rekha Arya, and his relative Satyander Rathore in connection with the controversy involving serious allegations levelled by her.
The police has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations.
The arrest of Sahu from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on Friday came after a public spat escalated between Arya and Sahu, with both accusing each other of serious wrongdoing.
Arya had lodged an FIR against her husband last month accusing him of assault, using caste-based abusive language, forgery and conspiring to kill her. The next day, Sahu hit back with allegations that Arya had amassed wealth worth Rs 210 crore through corruption and demanded an investigation into her assets.
Arya also shared a video on social media in which she broke down repeatedly while narrating her allegations. Her health reportedly deteriorated after she posted the video, following which she was rushed to a hospital and kept under observation.
In her complaint, Arya alleged that Sahu had concealed his earlier marriage and maintained relationships with other women. She also accused him of using casteist slurs against her in the presence of staff at her government residence.
She further alleged that Sahu forged her signature on documents to show that she had been removed from the post of director in certain companies. Arya said she approached the police seeking protection for herself and the safety of her children.
The FIR invokes provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, bigamy, cruelty by husband, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult and criminal intimidation. It also includes provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Arya had also released two audio clips on social media in support of her allegations.
Sahu, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and levelled countercharges against the minister, demanding a probe into her alleged accumulation of wealth through corruption.