Rahul, Priyanka visit India Gate protest site to meet Ankita Bhandari’s parents

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi reached India Gate in New Delhi on Wednesday to meet the parents of Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, as they staged a protest demanding justice in the case.

Ankita’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, appealed to the President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar Gautam as governor of Sikkim until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its investigation.

“Dushyant Kumar should be behind bars... I earnestly request the Honorable President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar as Governor until the CBI investigation is concluded,” Virendra Singh Bhandari said.

Gautam’s name has been linked to the alleged “VIP” angle in the case by the victim’s family and activists. The allegations have also triggered political protests, with the Congress questioning his appointment as governor. The allegations do not, by themselves, establish his involvement in the murder.

The case concerns Ankita, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantara resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, whose body was recovered in September 2022. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two other men were convicted of her murder.

The family has continued to demand a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of a “VIP” and has raised concerns about whether all aspects of the case have been examined.

Social activist Yogita Bhayana, who campaigns against sexual violence and supports victims and their families seeking justice, has been associated with efforts to draw attention to cases of sexual violence. Her involvement is relevant to the wider public campaign for justice in Ankita Bhandari’s case.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes amid renewed political attention to the case following the controversy over Gautam’s appointment and demands for the CBI investigation to establish whether anyone else was involved.