More than three years after the murder of Ankita Bhandari—and seven months after the conviction of the accused—the case has once again sparked political and public outrage in Uttarakhand. Fresh allegations suggesting the involvement of a senior BJP leader have reignited protests across the State, with Opposition parties including the Congress and Left groups, along with civil society organisations, demanding a comprehensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
While some senior leaders within the ruling BJP have expressed support for a CBI probe, the party leadership has so far avoided taking a definitive stand on the issue.
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantara resort near Rishikesh, was killed on September 18, 2022, just weeks after joining the establishment. The prime accused, Pulkit Arya—son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya—was the resort’s manager. Ankita’s body was recovered six days after she was reported missing.
The State police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) concluded that Ankita was allegedly being coerced into providing sexual services, which she resisted, leading to her murder. Arya was later convicted on multiple charges, including murder, sexual harassment, destruction of evidence, and offences under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act. In May 2025, a Kotdwar court sentenced Arya and two co-accused, Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, to life imprisonment.
From the early days of the investigation, allegations of a “VIP” presence at the resort on the day of the crime had circulated widely. However, the SIT stated that it found no evidence linking any influential individual to the case. A petition seeking a CBI probe into this alleged angle reached the Supreme Court, which closed the matter in March 2025, noting that the trial was already underway.
Recently, amid renewed controversy, former SIT member and Haridwar Rural Superintendent of Police Shekhar Suyal reiterated that the investigation had examined the so-called VIP angle but found no substantiating evidence.
The latest wave of unrest was triggered by videos released online by Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be the second wife of former BJP MLA from Haridwar, Suresh Rathore. In one video, Sanawar alleged that Ankita was killed after refusing to provide “extra services” to a leader referred to as “Gattu.”
In a subsequent post, she shared an audio clip, purportedly of a conversation with Rathore, in which BJP national general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Gautam was allegedly mentioned in connection with the case.
Rathore denied the allegations and accused Sanawar of attempting to defame the BJP, claiming the audio clip was fabricated using artificial intelligence. Following this, FIRs were filed in Haridwar and Dehradun against both Sanawar and Rathore under multiple legal provisions, including sections of the IT Act.
The Congress intensified its demand for a CBI investigation, pointing to what it described as gaps in the SIT’s findings. The party accused the BJP of shielding influential figures and alleged that parts of the resort were demolished after Ankita’s body was recovered to destroy potential evidence, purportedly at the behest of a local BJP MLA.
Dushyant Gautam dismissed the allegations against him as baseless, stating that he would withdraw from public and political life if the claims were proven true.
The controversy has also led to differing voices within the BJP. Haridwar MP and former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the seriousness of the allegations warranted a thorough probe, regardless of the stature of those involved.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Vijaya Barthwal echoed similar concerns, urging the State government to initiate a fresh investigation. She said that while the convictions were a step toward justice, unanswered questions remain regarding possible additional involvement, the demolition of the resort, and alleged evidence tampering. She also expressed concern over the politicisation of a case involving violence against a young woman.
Sanawar and Rathore have previously been embroiled in controversy. Rathore was expelled from the BJP for allegedly violating the State’s Uniform Civil Code provisions on polygamy. He later claimed that the two were never legally married and had only portrayed themselves as a couple for a film project.
