Ankita Bhandari murder case: Ex-BJP minister’s son gets life term
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A court in Uttarakhand's Pauri found three individuals guilty in the 2022 murder case of Ankita Bhandari on Friday.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi sentenced the trio to rigorous life imprisonment.
Ankita, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was killed on the night of September 18, 2022. Among the accused was her employer, Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya.
According to police, Pulkit murdered Ankita after she refused to comply with his demand to provide “special services” to certain resort guests. Her body was discovered in the Chilla canal on September 24, following the suspects' confession.
Pulkit Arya was found guilty of IPC sections 302 (murder), 201 (concealing evidence), 354A (molestation and outraging the modesty of a woman) and the Immoral Trafficking Act.
Other accused Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were charged and convicted under murder, concealing evidence, and the Immoral Trafficking Act, Indian Express reported.
Ankita Bhandari came from a financially struggling family in Pauri, having moved to the town to pursue her education. Her father, Birendra Bhandari, worked as a security guard.
Although Ankita had enrolled in a hotel management institute, she was forced to drop out due to financial difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The three accused Pulkit Arya, along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were arrested as the case gained national attention. The district administration partially demolished the Vanantra Resort, which led to controversy and claims that the move was intended to “destroy” vital evidence.
Following Pulkit’s arrest, the BJP expelled his father, Vinod Arya, and his elder brother from the party. Vinod had previously held the rank of minister of state in the BJP government under Trivendra Singh Rawat.
In December 2022, the prosecution submitted a 500-page chargesheet. Although a petition was later filed in the Uttarakhand High Court requesting that the case be transferred to the CBI, the court declined, stating it was satisfied with the ongoing investigation led by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
