Dehradun, Sep 18 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday slammed the Congress party’s protest on the fourth anniversary of the Ankita Bhandari murder case, asserting that the ongoing CBI investigation will uncover the complete truth.
Addressing reporters here, Dhami described the murder of the 19-year-old receptionist as a tragic incident while highlighting the swift action taken by his administration.
He said that all three convicts received life imprisonment and that their bail petitions were rejected by the Uttarakhand High Court.
“At the request of Ankita’s parents, we recommended a CBI investigation into the matter. The probe is underway, and it will bring the complete truth to light,” he said.
The Dhami government recommended a CBI probe in January this year, following massive protests that erupted after the alleged involvement of a “VIP” guest at the Vanantra Resort, where Ankita worked, came to light.
It was alleged that Ankita was killed after she resisted pressure to provide “special services” to the VIP.
The chief minister’s remarks came as Congress leaders led a ‘Nyay March’ near Rishikesh, accusing the BJP government of stalling the CBI investigation aimed at unmasking the identity of the mystery ‘VIP’ allegedly linked to the crime.
Marking the fourth death anniversary, Uttarakhand Congress workers gathered at Ganga Bhogpur Talla for a sit-in demonstration following a state-level call to protest against the BJP-led state and central governments.
State party chief Ganesh Godiyal vowed that if the Congress government comes to power, it would prosecute all the remaining perpetrators if the current administration fails to act.
“The people of Uttarakhand have waited four years to learn the identity of the alleged VIP involved,” he said while addressing the crowd.
“Although the state government gave in to widespread public outrage last year and ordered a CBI inquiry, there has been zero accountability or visible progress,” he added.
The demonstration concluded with a march from the protest site to the gates of the now-defunct Vanantra Resort, where the party leaders laid floral tributes before Ankita’s portrait.
Prominent figures who attended the march included senior state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana, campaign committee chief Pritam Singh, election management head Harak Singh Rawat, and state Mahila Congress chief Jyoti Rautela.
Ankita was murdered on September 18, 2022, by resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two staff members. Her body was retrieved from the Chilla Canal four days later. PTI DPT KSI KSI
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