DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday declined to grant any interim relief to two convicts in the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case and fixed July 20 as the next date of hearing.
A division bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Siddhartha heard the pleas filed by Pulkit Arya and Saurabh Bhaskar, who have challenged the life imprisonment awarded to them by a lower court.
The two had also moved bail applications, seeking release during the pendency of their appeal.
During the hearing, counsel for the convicts argued that Ankita Bhandari had died by suicide and that the accused had “no role” in her death. They sought bail from the court on this basis. The prosecution and the counsel representing the victim’s side strongly opposed the plea. They argued that crucial evidence had allegedly been destroyed after the incident.
“After the incident, the hotel room was demolished, bulldozers were used, and evidence was destroyed through arson,” the prosecution submitted.
It further pointed to WhatsApp chats and alleged tampering with electronic evidence as material against the convicts.
“If they had no role in the crime, why were efforts made to destroy evidence?” the victim’s side argued, urging the court to dismiss the applications.
The Kotdwar court had, on May 30, 2025, convicted the accused under Sections 302, 354A and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
The trial saw the examination of 47 witnesses. The convicts have now challenged the order before the High Court. The defence argued that no eyewitness had been produced in the case and that Ankita’s body was recovered from a canal.
The prosecution, however, maintained that the location of the accused and their associates was traced to the crime scene. It also cited forensic findings and Ankita’s WhatsApp chats to support its case. The prosecution further alleged that the accused had switched off CCTV cameras at the resort and tampered with the DVR to conceal evidence.
Ankita Bhandari, a resident of Dobh Srikot in Pauri district, was working as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort.
According to the case, resort owner Pulkit Arya, along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit, allegedly pushed her into the Chilla Barrage, leading to her death.
The case had triggered widespread outrage across Uttarakhand, with demands for swift justice and strict punishment for those involved.
Following the investigation, police arrested the accused, who have remained in jail since then.
The lower court has already held the accused guilty and awarded them a sentence. With the High Court refusing immediate relief, the matter will now be taken up again on July 20.