Uttarakhand Resort Murder: Ankita Bhandari’s Mother Demands BJP Leader’s Arrest
Image Courtesy: PTI
New Delhi: The murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist in a now bulldozed upscale resort in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh in September 2022, has taken a new turn with her mother demanding the arrest of a top ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leader.
According to a report, Ankita’s mother, Soni Devi’s statement was made in a video in which she alleged that it was BJP MLA Renu Bisht who had ordered the razing of the victim’s room at Vanantra Resort where her daughter worked as a receptionist, thereby destroying evidence related to the murder case.
Recall that after massive public protest after Ankita went missing (her body was later found in Chilla barrage in Rishikesh), BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son, Pulkit and two others were arrested. Pulkit was the owner of the upscale resort and is alleged to have “thrown” her into the water after she refused to be forced to ‘service” a VIP client.
Almost one year and four months after the crime, the girl’s mother also alleged that the name of Ajay Kumar, state BJP secretary, has surfaced in statements recorded by witnesses, and urged the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take immediate action.
The Ankita Bhandari murder case had created such an uproar in 2022, that the probe by the Uttarakhand Police was handed out to a special investigation team (SIT) led by senior IPS officer P Renuka Devi.
Saying that she “felt betrayed” by the Dhami government, Soni Devi said Soni Devi said in the video statement on Sunday, “Arrest Ajay Kumar for it’s clear that his name surfaced in the probe as the VIP who visited the resort. Also, arrest MLA Renu Bisht and Pramod Kumar, the then SDM, on whose order Ankita’s room was erased by a JCB driver.”
Nilesh Anand Bharne, the Inspector General of Police, told news agency ANI that “many serious allegations have been made by Ankita Bhandari’s parents in the media and the social media about the so-called VIPs”, adding that “no evidence or statement about any VIP was presented during the investigation and testimony in court,”
The BJP has also denied the charges levelled by Ankita’s mother. “Ankita’s parents have levelled allegations in a fit of anger while the Congress party is exhibiting its exasperations over electoral losses. The Opposition is trying to assassinate the BJP leader’s character in the garb of the statements made by Ankita’s mother. The government and the BJP are with the victim’s family and justice will be done in the case as it is sub judice,” a party leader was quoted by news reports.
New agency PTI had reported that Ankita’s mother’s video statement was shared by Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara said, who wanted to know: “When will Dhami answer the tears of our daughter Ankita Bhandari's mother?”
In her statement, Ankita’s mother also alleged that the Dhami government had filed a false case against social worker Ashutosh Negi, who was helping her in the case, and his wife had been transferred to Pithoragarh.
“If the case against Negi is not dropped soon and his wife's transfer is not cancelled, I will sacrifice my life,” she said
Mahara said that the entire episode should be investigated under the supervision of a serving judge of the High Court, adding that Ankita's father had also written a letter to the District Magistrate of Pauri making similar allegations.
“If there is even an iota of truth in these allegations then action should definitely be taken against it,” he said.
(with inputs from PTI)
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