In a startling revelation related to Uttarakhand’s sensational 2023 Ankita Bhandari murder case, a former member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the matter has stated that the much-discussed ‘VIP’ was identified, but no evidence was found against him. He said the SIT initiated a search for the VIP after the term appeared in a mobile chat between Ankita and her friend.
Haridwar SP (Rural) Shekhar Suyal, who was a member of the SIT formed to investigate the killing of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, claimed that although a so-called ‘VIP’ was identified, the investigation did not yield any incriminating evidence against him.
Suyal said that rumours about a VIP’s visit to the resort where Ankita worked were rife immediately after her killing. “There were reports that Ankita was being pressurised to provide ‘special services’ to this individual and was murdered by the accused after she refused. At that stage, it was a blind case. However, once the SIT took over the probe, all three accused were arrested within five hours,” he said.
The Haridwar SP (Rural) added that the mention of a ‘VIP’ was also found in chats between Ankita and her friend Pushp, necessitating an intensive investigation. “A sketch of the VIP was prepared based on statements recorded from Pushp, resort staff and other documentary evidence. Eventually, the individual was identified as Dharmendra alias Pradhan, a resident of Noida. Ankita’s friend, who had visited the resort before the incident, identified him,” Suyal said.
According to Suyal, Dharmendra was made part of the SIT probe, but no evidence was found against him. “It was revealed that he had visited the area in connection with a land deal. A local associate took him to the resort for a meal. Beyond this, the SIT found no evidence of any other VIP visit to the Vanantara Resort in Rishikesh,” he added.
Suyal further clarified that the convicts, who are serving life sentences, had confessed to pressurising Ankita for “extra services.”
It is noteworthy that the sensational Ankita Bhandari murder case had put the entire Himalayan state on edge in 2023 after her body was recovered from the Chilla Barrage in Rishikesh several days after she went missing from the resort.
Three accused, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025 after more than one-and-a-half years of trial. However, the ‘VIP’ issue resurfaced recently after a woman actor, Urmila Sanawar, named BJP leaders in the matter, claiming them to be the VIPs involved.