DEHRADUN: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged President Droupadi Murmu to ask the government to reconsider Dushyant Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim governor and defer his assumption of office until the CBI completes its investigation into the alleged VIP angle in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari.
The appointment of the BJP leader has triggered a fresh political row in Uttarakhand, with the Congress demanding answers over the alleged involvement of VIPs in the murder of the 19-year-old resort receptionist.
In a letter to Murmu, Gandhi said he was approaching her as a “last resort”, urging her to use Article 74(1) of the Constitution to ask the government to reconsider its advice on the appointment. Gautam was appointed governor on Monday.
Gandhi alleged that the appointment could impede the investigation, arguing that criminal proceedings cannot be instituted or continued against a sitting governor. “Gautam’s appointment places him out of the reach of the CBI. An inquiry that can never result in prosecution is an inquiry in name only,” he said.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disregarding women's safety, Gandhi said the question of who the alleged VIPs were remained unanswered nearly four years after Ankita's murder.
“Please act, provide solace to Ankita’s grieving parents and protect the high post of Governor,” he wrote, urging the President to ensure that Gautam did not assume office until the investigation was completed.
Gandhi had met Ankita’s parents at India Gate on Wednesday, where they protested against the appointment and sought justice for their daughter. The family has alleged Gautam’s involvement in the case, but the allegations do not establish any criminal role on his part.
Meanwhile, Congress workers staged a protest in Dehradun on Thursday against the appointment. Former chief minister Harish Rawat, former minister Harak Singh Rawat, and party leaders Pritam Singh, Ganesh Godiyal, Karan Mahara and Garima Dasauni were among those who participated.
“Ankita is our daughter. We will continue to fight for her, even if we have to be arrested,” Uttarakhand Congress president Godiyal said, calling the appointment an insult to Ankita and the state.
Rawat said Ankita’s parents had travelled to Delhi to seek justice and were detained by police during their protest. He said the family was not alone in its demand for answers over the alleged VIP connection.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra resort near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her employer, Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, had allegedly pressured her to provide “special services” to VIP guests, a demand she refused, Gandhi said in his letter. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.
Pulkit Arya and two resort employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were arrested in the case. A special investigation team (SIT) was constituted, and a chargesheet was filed based on evidence and witness statements. In May 2023, a Kotdwar court sentenced all three to life imprisonment for the murder.
The alleged VIP angle, however, continued to draw political attention. Ankita’s family and activists have demanded a probe into the identities of the alleged VIP guests and alleged destruction of evidence.
The state government has cited the arrests, SIT investigation and court proceedings as evidence of action in the case. It has also pointed to the Uttarakhand High Court’s December 2022 dismissal of a petition seeking a CBI probe. The petition was filed by journalist Ashutosh Negi and later joined by Ankita’s parents.
The SIT had told the court that it examined forensic material, video footage, recorded statements and call detail records. A medical panel at AIIMS Rishikesh conducted the post-mortem examination.
Following protests across Uttarakhand, the state government handed the investigation into the alleged VIP angle to the CBI in January this year. The probe is still underway.
(With inputs from PTI)