DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has cited swift arrests, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, prosecution and assistance to Ankita Bhandari’s family as evidence of its response to the 2022 murder of the resort receptionist.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s administration says it also acted on the family’s requests concerning the government advocates handling the case and a proposed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry.
Bhandari, who worked at a resort in Pauri Garhwal district, was reported missing in September 2022. Her body was found in the Cheela canal days later.
Police arrested resort owner Pulkit Arya and employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta within 24 hours of the case coming to light, the government said.
An SIT was formed to investigate. Investigators filed a chargesheet based on evidence and witness statements, while prosecutors presented the case in court.
The accused were also booked under the Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, the government said.
In May 2023, a Kotdwar court sentenced all three men to life imprisonment for Bhandari’s murder. The verdict followed a trial in which the court assessed evidence presented by the prosecution. The conviction and sentence were decisions of the judiciary.
The government said it supported the prosecution while respecting the courts’ independence. On December 21, 2022, the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed a petition seeking to transfer the investigation to the CBI. The petition, filed by journalist Ashutosh Negi, was later joined by Bhandari’s parents.
The petitioners alleged a “VIP angle” and destruction of evidence. The SIT, led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer, told the court that forensic examinations, videography, statements recorded under the Code of Criminal Procedure and call detail record analysis had been conducted. An AIIMS Rishikesh medical panel had also carried out the post-mortem, the SIT said.
Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal told that government advocates were changed at the family’s request.
“Throughout the Ankita Bhandari case, the state government gave due importance to the sentiments and demands of the victim’s family,” he said. He added that after her parents sought a CBI investigation, Dhami “initiated steps to take the process forward”.
Minister Uniyal said, “The state provided the family Rs 25 lakh in financial assistance and took steps to arrange employment for relatives. These measures were taken in accordance with the need to support the family's economic requirements alongside the judicial process.”
The murder prompted protests and intensified scrutiny of women's safety and resort regulation in Uttarakhand. Dhami said, “Strict action against crimes against women and ensuring justice for victims' families remain the government's highest priorities.”
He added, “Our government's responsibility is to ensure lawful action, address the family's concerns within the legal framework and provide assistance.”
The parents' request for a CBI probe and the High Court's dismissal of the transfer petition form part of the case's legal record. The government says it considered the family's wishes while proceeding through the prescribed channels.
