Ankita Bhandari murder: Parents released after detention during India Gate protest

• Ankita Bhandari’s parents were released around 5 am after being detained during an India Gate protest against Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor

• Ankita’s father threatened nationwide protests unless the government cancels Gautam’s appointment pending the CBI probe into the alleged VIP angle

• Three men have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for Ankita’s 2022 murder. Gautam, whose name has surfaced in allegations concerning the unidentified VIP, denies the accusations and has initiated defamation proceedings

The parents of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, were released around 5 am on Thursday, hours after being detained during a protest near India Gate in New Delhi. The family was protesting against BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment as the governor of Sikkim and demanding that the decision be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case is completed.

During the detention, Ankita’s father issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre, demanding the cancellation of Gautam’s appointment. He warned that the family would launch a nationwide agitation if the government failed to accept its demand.

“We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the government for the cancellation of Dushyant’s appointment. Nationwide protests will be launched if the government does not accept our demand,” Ankita’s father told PTI Videos.

According to sources, Ankita’s parents were released at around 5 am on Thursday. Several Congress leaders who had joined the protest were also detained and subsequently released.

Among those detained were Congress leader Pawan Khera, head of the party’s media and publicity department; Supriya Shrinate, head of its social media department; and Uday Bhanu Chib, president of the Indian Youth Congress.

The protest centred on the family’s demand that Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor be put on hold until investigators complete their inquiry into the alleged involvement of a VIP in Ankita’s murder.

The family has repeatedly demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged VIP angle, arguing that all those suspected of having a connection to the crime should be investigated.

Gautam’s name has repeatedly surfaced in allegations made by Ankita’s family and activists concerning the unidentified VIP who was alleged to have been connected to the crime.

However, these remain allegations. Gautam has denied the accusations and initiated defamation proceedings against those who have made them.

Gautam was appointed governor of Sikkim on Monday. His appointment has triggered renewed political controversy, with the Congress questioning the timing of the decision while the CBI investigation into the case remains ongoing.

The Congress has alleged that the appointment was intended to shield Gautam from possible legal action. The party has argued that a governor cannot be subjected to criminal proceedings while holding office, and has demanded that the appointment be reconsidered until the investigation is completed.

These claims form part of the political dispute surrounding the appointment and have not, by themselves, established any wrongdoing by Gautam.

Ankita Bhandari was working as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh when she was murdered in September 2022. She was 19 years old.

She was killed on 18 September 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.

The case sparked widespread public outrage across Uttarakhand and attracted national attention amid allegations that an unidentified VIP was connected to the crime. The alleged VIP angle became a major point of contention, with Ankita’s family and activists pressing for a comprehensive investigation.

Resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Despite the convictions, Ankita’s family has continued to demand further investigation into the alleged involvement of the unidentified VIP, maintaining that the matter requires additional scrutiny.

Dushyant Kumar Gautam is a BJP leader and former national general secretary of the party. He also served as the BJP’s in-charge for Uttarakhand.

His appointment as Sikkim governor has brought renewed attention to the allegations raised by Ankita’s family and activists. The family wants the Centre to reconsider the appointment until the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged VIP connection.

Gautam has rejected the allegations against him and has initiated defamation proceedings in response.

With the family setting a 24-hour deadline for the Centre to act, the dispute has escalated into a wider political confrontation involving the BJP, the Congress and demands for further investigation into one of Uttarakhand’s most high-profile murder cases.

With PTI inputs