Dehradun, Jan 9 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday recommended a CBI inquiry into the 2022 murder of 19-year-old resort receptionist Ankita Bhandari and said that the state government’s intention is completely clear that no fact or evidence will be overlooked.
Dhami announced that during a recent meeting with her parents, they had requested a CBI probe into the matter, and respecting their sentiments, the Uttarakhand government has recommended the inquiry.
Ankita’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, met Dhami on Wednesday night and handed him a letter demanding an enquiry by the CBI into the case under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.
In the letter, Ankita’s father said that his daughter was murdered because of a “VIP” whose identity is still unknown.
The government’s objective has been and will continue to be to ensure justice, the chief minister said.
He added that his government’s intention is completely clear, and no fact or evidence will be overlooked. “Ankita was not just a victim, but she was also our sister and daughter,” Dhami said.
Considering the seriousness of the case, the state government had initiated an immediate and transparent action in the matter, constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under a female IPS officer, the chief minister said.
He said the entire case clearly demonstrates that the state government has ensured justice with fairness, transparency, and firmness.
Referring to the recent audio clips being circulated on social media, the chief minister said that separate FIRs have been registered, and an investigation is underway.
The recent revelations regarding the “VIP” in the Ankita murder case had caused a storm in the state’s politics, with various political and social organisations, including the Congress, continuously protesting and demanding a CBI investigation.
Post the announcement of the decision, Uttarakhand Congress said the CBI inquiry into the case was the result of the joint struggle of the deceased receptionist’s parents, the Opposition and the people of the state.
State Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal said that by accepting the demand for the CBI inquiry, the state government has proved that it had made a mistake in the past.
Godiyal, however, added that it remains to be seen whether a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court would be entrusted with the responsibility of supervising this investigation.
On January 4, workers from the Congress, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), Mahila Manch, Left parties, and social organisations had gathered at Parade Ground here and marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence, repeating their demand that the case be handed over to the CBI to reveal the name of the “VIP” involved in the murder case.
In 2022, Ankita Bhandari, 19, a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Pauri, was murdered by resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment in this case.
A demand for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing has gathered pace ever since Urmila Sanawar, an actress who claimed to be the wife of MLA Suresh Rathore, alleged the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the murder.
She recently released videos on social media and audio recordings of her conversations, purportedly with Rathore, alleging the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the Ankita murder case.
In another video, she claimed that the ‘VIP’ is BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam. Since then, several FIRs have been registered against her and Rathore in Dehradun and Haridwar. PTI DPT AMJ AMJ
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.