More than three years after the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, the case has once again sparked political unrest in Uttarakhand. Fresh allegations linking a senior BJP leader to the crime have led to protests across the state and renewed demands for a CBI investigation.
Ankita worked as a receptionist at the Vanantara resort in Rishikesh. She was murdered on September 18, 2022, just weeks after joining the job. The police investigation revealed that she was allegedly pressured to provide “extra services” to guests, which she resisted. This resistance, the SIT said, led to her killing.
The main accused, Pulkit Arya—son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya—along with two others, was convicted in May 2025 and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, from the beginning, questions about a possible “VIP angle” in the case remained unanswered.
The controversy resurfaced after videos released by Urmila Sanawar, who claims to be linked to former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore. In the videos, she alleged that Ankita was killed after refusing to entertain a powerful leader. An audio clip shared by her further intensified the political storm, though the BJP dismissed the claims as false and allegedly AI-generated.
Opposition parties, led by the Congress, accused the BJP government of shielding influential leaders and demanded a fresh CBI probe. They also raised questions about the demolition of parts of the resort soon after Ankita’s body was recovered, alleging destruction of evidence.
Within the BJP, voices have differed. While some senior leaders supported a new probe, the party leadership has not taken a clear stand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said no one involved would be spared and claimed the issue was being politicised to obstruct his government’s work.
With statewide protests, candlelight marches, and the Congress planning a “Nyay Yatra,” the Ankita Bhandari case has once again become a major political issue—one that could influence Uttarakhand’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
