The CBI has taken over the Ankita Bhandari murder case, reopening scrutiny of an alleged VIP angle after viral clips and renewed political pressure brought the 2022 crime back into focus.
Ankita Bhandari, who was murdered in September 2022, worked as a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh. Her case has returned to focus following a fresh CBI probe. | IANS
In a fresh turn in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, the Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the probe into a crime that had deeply unsettled Uttarakhand. The CBI’s Delhi-based Special Crime Branch has also registered a case against an “unknown VIP” in connection with the matter.
Two members of the CBI team reached Uttarakhand late on Monday to begin a detailed inquiry into the alleged VIP angle linked to the killing of the 19-year-old. Ankita Bhandari was working as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh at the time of her death.
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The case returned to the public attention after audio and video clips involving former BJP legislator Suresh Rathore and his alleged wife, Urmila Sanawar, mentioned the involvement of a “VIP”.
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Her remarks were followed by political reactions, with opposition parties and several organisations reiterating their demand for a CBI investigation.
As pressure mounted, the Uttarakhand government moved to transfer the probe to the central agency. On January 9, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami formally recommended a CBI investigation.
The state government has said that uncovering the complete truth remains its top priority and that no one, regardless of power or position, would be allowed to evade the law.
Ankita Bhandari was murdered on September 18, 2022. There was widespread anger and protests over the case in Uttarakhand.
Her body was recovered nearly a week later from the Chilla Shakti Canal, where it had been dumped.
The case was earlier investigated by a Special Investigation Team, which filed a chargesheet running over 500 pages and listed 97 witnesses. Forty-seven of them were examined during the trial.
Pulkit Arya, the owner of the Vanantra Resort, along with co-accused Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
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