New Delhi: The parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old Rishikesh resort employee murdered in 2022, were detained from Raj Ghat late Wednesday. At least four police officers “surrounded them, dragged them away, and shoved them inside a police vehicle”, they said.
“My wife was feeling weak and dizzy, so we were just trying to sit for a moment, when the police began to drag us away. One lady constable said that my wife was acting,” said Virendra Bhandari, Ankita’s father.
A senior police officer told ThePrint that Ankita’s parents were removed as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) has been imposed on Rajghat and its surroundings areas.
The Bhandaris, along with social activist Yogita Bhayana and Congress leader Mumtaz Patel, had gone to Raj Ghat to offer prayers. “We have come here to pray for Ankita and get some strength. The Delhi Police has been tracking our phone location so as soon as reporters began speaking to us while we were catching our breath, they detained us,” Virendra Bhandari said.
The couple was allegedly kept in a police van for close to two hours. “They made us sit in the van for close to two hours without any water. My wife was feeling weak and they provided no emergency assistance, but kept on making rounds around markets and roads in that area,” he added.
The police eventually dropped the duo at Burari Hospital, where Virendra claimed that his wife was not given proper treatment. “My wife was not happy with how she was being treated at the hospital so we just left. We don’t want this government’s treatment or help; we have seen enough mistreatment.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M. Harsha Vardhan told ThePrint, “Parents of Ankita Bhandari were intending on putting up an indefinite dharna so they were removed. We have no issues with them sitting there for a few minutes, but when the police posted there learnt that they intended on doing an indefinite strike, we had to detain them.”
The officer added that the parents were not being tracked, but when they reached the spot, Central Industrial Security Force personnel present alerted the Delhi Police. “We had no intentions of detaining them for two hours but when the Central District police detains people we take them to Burari or Chhatrasal area, so when Ankita’s parents complained of being unwell we took them to Burari hospital,” he said. He added that the time spent inside the vehicle could be due to the traffic congestion.
The development comes weeks after the Bhandari couple protested in the Capital against the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the governor of Sikkim. The family has alleged that Gautam was involved in Ankita’s death.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
Amrit Kaal.