Mohit Singh
New Delhi, Oct 15: The parents of Ankita Bhandari, the young woman murdered in Uttarakhand in 2022, were briefly detained by Delhi Police during an overnight sit-in protest at India Gate in the early hours of Thursday and released a few hours later, PTI and ANI reported. The protest was directed at the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, which the family opposes.
The developments came a day after a court once again rejected the bail applications of the three convicted men in the murder case, keeping them behind bars.
Early Morning Detention at India Gate
According to ANI, Delhi Police detained Ankita’s parents — Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi — along with several protesters at around 4 am on Thursday, October 15, during a sit-in at India Gate. The family was taken to Tilak Marg Police Station and released less than two hours later, with sources saying they were out by around 5 am.
Several Congress leaders who were at the protest site were also detained and later released, including party media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, MPs Jothimani and Imran Pratapgarhi, social media department head Supriya Shrinate, Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib and Delhi Congress in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin. Khera, Jothimani and Pratapgarhi reportedly staged a protest inside the police station after being detained, ANI reported.
The detentions came a day after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the protest site on Wednesday evening and met Ankita’s parents, Congress said.
Responding to the detentions, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X that the parents had been taken into custody while peacefully demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam not be made the Sikkim Governor until the CBI investigation was complete, asserting that the Congress would continue to stand with the family until they received justice. Shashi Tharoor also criticised the action on X, saying that the power to detain was not the power to silence.
What the Family Is Demanding
The family has been demanding that Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor — announced on Monday, October 12 — be put on hold or revoked until the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged “VIP” angle in the case is complete, PTI reported.
The family’s allegation, raised repeatedly by them and by activists, is that Gautam is the unidentified “VIP” referenced in the original investigation into Ankita’s 2022 murder. These remain the family’s stated allegations.
After his release, Ankita’s father issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre. “We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the government for the cancellation of Dushyant’s appointment. Nationwide protests will be launched if the government does not accept our demand,” he told PTI Videos. He also warned that the family would begin an indefinite hunger strike at their home in Uttarakhand if they were stopped from protesting, ANI reported.
The mother made a similar appeal. “We want to state that we will remain steadfast until his (Dushyant Gautam) appointment is revoked. If we are not permitted to sit here, we will sit on a hunger strike in our own homes,” she said, according to reports.
Court Rejects Bail Pleas of Convicts Again
Separately, on Wednesday, October 14, the court once again rejected the bail applications of all accused in the case, Devdiscourse reported, citing an ANI dispatch. The Uttarakhand government said the accused could not secure relief because of the state’s strong and effective legal representation, and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice for the victim.
The state government also pointed to its earlier measures in the case: the accused were sent to jail within 24 hours of the incident coming to light, a Special Investigation Team was constituted, and action was initiated under the Gangsters Act. A chargesheet of around 500 pages was prepared, incorporating evidence and statements from nearly 100 witnesses.
The government said financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh was provided to the family, along with employment for Ankita’s brother and father. It added that, at the family’s request, the government counsel was changed three times and a CBI investigation was ordered into the case.
Background of the Case
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantra Resort near Rishikesh, was killed on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal on September 24, 2022, after a search that drew nationwide attention.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya — the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, who was expelled from the party after his son’s arrest — and resort employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were arrested and chargesheeted in the case.
On May 30, 2025, Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi at Kotdwar in Pauri district convicted all three men and sentenced them to rigorous life imprisonment. Pulkit Arya was convicted under IPC sections 302 (murder), 201 (concealment of evidence), 354A and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act; the other two were convicted under murder, concealment of evidence and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the Indian Express reported at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the latest development in the Ankita Bhandari case?
Ankita’s parents were briefly detained during a sit-in at India Gate in the early hours of October 15, 2026, and released a few hours later. Separately, on October 14, the court once again rejected the bail applications of the three convicts in the case.
Why are Ankita’s parents protesting?
They are opposing the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, announced on October 12. The family alleges he is the unidentified “VIP” linked to the case and wants the appointment revoked or paused until the CBI investigation is complete. These are the family’s stated allegations.
Who was convicted in the case and what was the sentence?
Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were convicted by the Kotdwar court on May 30, 2025, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment on charges including murder, destruction of evidence and offences under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
Is there a CBI investigation in the case?
Yes. The Uttarakhand government said that after Ankita’s parents demanded a CBI investigation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a CBI probe into the case.
