Public anger spilled on Doon streets regarding new disclosures in the Ankit Bhandari murder case

Public anger spilled on Doon streets regarding new disclosures in the Ankit Bhandari murder case

S.M.A. KAZMI

Dehradun, Jan 4

Public anger over new disclosures in the Ankita Bhandari murder case of 2021 and attempts by the ruling BJP / RSS dispensation to brush it under the carpet, spilled on the streets of capital Dehradun as thousands of protestors from all over the state including large number of women, old and youth, several social organisations and opposition parties, took out a massive rally towards the residence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to seeking justice for Ankita through  a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and disclosure of the name of the alleged VIP involved.

Protest demonstrations across the state and in the national capital New Delhi were organised to seek justice for the innocent young girl. A protests march was taken out at Ranikhet by former Uttarakhand Congress Chief Karan Mahra while party leaders also held a demonstration at Jantar Mntar in New Delhi.

The march to the Chief Minister’s residence was called by Uttarakhand Mahila Manch and Insaniyat Manch and got support from other social and opposition political parties. The members of several social organizations and political parties including the Congress party, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, CPI, CPM, CPI(ML), Socialist Unity centre of India (SUCI) ,Unemployed Youth Association,  Nationalist Regional Party, and Garhwal Sabha, gathered at Parade Ground  and then marched towards the CM’s residence on Cantt. Road. Raising slogans seeking justice for Ankita Bhandari, holding placards condemning the silence of the ruling party, thousands marched and were later stopped by the police erecting barricades. The protestors sat on a dharna as the police did not allowed them to move towards the Chief Minister’s residence.

Ankita Bhandari, a young girl working as a receptionist at Vantara tourist resort near Rishikesh in Ganga-Bhogpur area of Pauri Garhwal district was allegedly raped and subsequently murdered in 2022. The case gained national and international publicity since the resort belonged to the son of a senior RSS functionary holding a ministerial level position in Uttarakhand. It was alleged that Ankita Bhandari was murdered by the resort owner with the help of two other accomplices for her refusal to give “Special” services to a VIP guest. Her body was thrown in the canal and was found after six days. The mother of the deceased named a senior RSS functionary as the VIP but the police did not mention it in the FIR.

Three main accused Pulkit Arya (owner of the resort),^[3] Ankit Gupta (Assistant Resort Manager) and Saurabh Bhaskar (Resort Manager) confessed to the murder and were convicted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi in May 2025 and are in jail.  The local BJP MLA Renu Bisht was also allegedly accused in attempts to destroy the evidence of the case by ordering the demolition of the Vantara resort. She was also not made an accused in the case.

The case again made headlines last month when a woman namely Urmila Sanwar who calls herself second wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore from Haridwar made an audio viral in which Suresh Rathore was reportedly heard saying that a senior RSS functionary who is known as “Gattu” was present in the Vantara resort before the murder of Ankita Bhandari.

This has led to a political storm with women groups, social organisations and opposition political parties charging ruling BJP of hiding the truth. Representatives of the social organisations and political parties argued that the new allegations that have recently surfaced in the Ankita murder case make a fresh and impartial investigation absolutely necessary.

They further claimed that Ankita Bhandari’s murder was not part of a normal criminal incident, but rather the result of a criminal network of the ruling party that has been protected. They alleged that despite the names of alleged VIP coming to surface the  government has not yet taken any concrete step to take action. They said that in light of the new allegations, all those involved in this case should receive the harshest possible punishment.

Meanwhile, Shekhar Suyal, SP Rural Haridwar who was a member of the SIT formed after the murder, in a press conference on Saturday stated that no VIP’s name has come up in the investigation so far. He said that a suspected VIP was identified at that time, but no evidence was found against him.

On the other hand, cases have been instituted against former BJP MLA Suresh Ratore and his so called second wife Urmila Sanwar who both are absconding. The police had pasted notices at their residence asking them to appear before police.

Uttarakhand police has also formed a Special investigating team (SIT) to p[robe the allegations of Urmila Sanwar through her Facebook live and audio recordings.