After greater than 3 years Ankita Bhandari was murdered. – And 7 months after the accused within the case was convicted, new allegations have surfaced within the case {that a} senior BJP chief has been accused of involvement within the case. This contains: sparked a wave of protests Opposition events, together with the Congress and the Left, in addition to civil society teams demanding a CBI probe into your entire incident, have taken half and are lively throughout Uttarakhand.
A number of senior leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Get together have supported the demand for a CBI investigation, however the occasion’s preparations stay non-committal on this.
In what case?
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantara Resort in Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022, simply 20 days after becoming a member of the resort, by her supervisor Pulkit Arya, son of former Bharatiya Janata Get together chief Vinod Arya. Her physique was discovered six days after she went lacking. The state police’s Particular Investigation Staff (SIT), which investigated Ankita’s homicide, discovered that she had been compelled to carry out sexual providers, which she objected to, resulting in her homicide.
Arya was discovered responsible of homicide, sexual harassment, tampering with proof, and numerous expenses beneath the Immoral Trafficking Act.
Claims that “VIPs” have been current on the resort on the day of Ankita’s homicide had been circulating from the start, however the SIT stated it couldn’t detect any involvement of influential leaders within the incident.
A petition looking for a probe into the ‘VIP angle’ in opposition to the CBI investigation reached the Supreme Courtroom, which disposed of it in March 2025, saying the particular go away petition wanted to be terminated because the case was pending within the matter.
In Might 2025, a Kotdwar court docket convicted three accused within the Ankita homicide case, Alia, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
Amid the present turmoil following contemporary allegations, former SIT member and Haridwar district SP Shekhar Suyal not too long ago stated that he carried out a probe into the ‘VIP angle’ however discovered no proof to show it.
What’s Urmila Sanawal’s declare?
A contemporary wave of protests erupted following the discharge of a video posted by Urmila Sanawal, a lady claiming to be former Haridwar Bharatiya Janata Get together MLA Suresh Rathore’s second spouse. Sanawal initially posted a video claiming that Ankita was killed for refusing to offer “extra providers” to a pacesetter named “Gattu”.
Mr. Sanawar then posted one other video taking part in an audio purportedly of a dialog between himself and Mr. Rathore, wherein Mr. Rathore allegedly linked the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s nationwide common secretary answerable for Uttarakhand state to the incident.
Mr. Rathore held a press convention, claiming that the audio clip was “AI-generated” and accusing Mr. Sanawal of defaming the Bharatiya Janata Get together. Two FIRs have been registered in opposition to Sanawar and Rasool in Haridwar and Dehradun beneath numerous provisions, together with provisions beneath the IT Act.
Congress then additional strengthened its stance. Demand for CBI investigation He will get concerned in Ankita homicide case. The occasion identified numerous “loopholes” within the SIT probe and accused the BJP of “protecting up” and “patronizing” senior leaders. The Congress claimed that after Ankita’s physique was found, a part of the resort was demolished on the orders of native Bharatiya Janata Get together MLA Renu Bisht to “destroy” proof.
Gautam dismissed the allegations in opposition to him as false and stated he would step down from political and social life in the event that they turned out to be true.
Who’re Sanawar and Rasool?
Sanawal and Rasool aren’t any strangers to rowing. The BJP had expelled Rathore for violating the ban on polygamy enshrined within the state’s flagship Uniform Civil Code. Rathore later claimed that the 2 weren’t married and that that they had performed the position of a married couple in a movie.
What are the completely different voices of the BJP?
Haridwar MP and former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat stated regardless of how senior the management is, an inquiry needs to be carried out to look into the intense allegations within the matter.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Get together chief and former minister Vijaya Balswal additionally appealed to the party-led authorities to launch a contemporary investigation into the incident. “It’s shameful that one thing like this occurred in Uttarakhand. We can not name ourselves residents of Devbhoomi if injustices in opposition to our daughters proceed. When the incident occurs, I hope the federal government conducts an intensive investigation and exposes the accused. “Regardless of the conviction, some questions remained about whether or not extra folks have been concerned, why the resort was demolished, and the potential for proof tampering. That is unlucky,” he informed the media. It’s politicized,” she stated.
BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt dismissed Sanawar’s claims and questioned them. Whereas Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal requested the accusers to offer proof of the allegations, Bharatiya Janata Get together’s Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal claimed that the motion being carried out within the identify of justice was “falling into the palms of political and anarchist components”.
Months after widespread protests over the leaked UKSSSC paperwork, the contemporary agitation has put huge strain on the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led authorities. The federal government can be drawing warmth from numerous quarters over rising immigration and the unemployment disaster.
a couple of days later Opposition events questioned his silenceCM Dhami on Tuesday stated that nobody is and won’t be shielded from the investigation into Ankita homicide case. He informed the media that he would meet Ankita’s dad and mom and take ahead their calls for to get justice for his or her daughter. He additionally claimed {that a} conspiracy was afoot to sabotage his work within the state.
What’s the opposition occasion’s place?
Opposition events try to make use of the problem to weaken the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s affect within the state’s hill areas. A number of demonstrators stated they hoped the principle opposition occasion, Congress, would kind an alliance with smaller teams.
Just like the Kranti Dal in Uttarakhand, it might pose a formidable problem for the Bharatiya Janata Get together within the 2027 meeting polls.
Though these events might have issue discovering widespread floor, particularly with essential ideological variations on points similar to demographic change and immigration to the state, such alignment might assist Congress entice youthful voters.
Congress senior vice chairman Suryakant Dasmana asserted that the occasion’s “2027 ballot prospects are vivid”. “An alliance can solely be shaped with like-minded political events from the Indian bloc,” he added.
The Congress can be planning to launch a ‘Nyay Yatra’ to mobilize folks looking for justice within the Ankita case. The yatra, which is able to contain candlelight rallies and protests, is predicted to cowl all 70 meeting segments within the state inside the subsequent few days.
