DEHRADUN: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore for about three hours on Saturday evening as part of its investigation into the murder of Ankita Bhandari, officials familiar with the matter said.
According to sources, a CBI team took Rathore from his residence to the Shivalik Guest House, where investigators questioned him. The agency has not issued a detailed statement on the questioning or the subjects discussed.
After emerging from the room, Rathore told reporters that he had answered the questions truthfully and would continue to cooperate with the investigation. “I have no objection to answering the agency’s questions. I am confident that the truth will come out,” he said, using the Hindi expression, “doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jayega” — meaning the facts will be established. Asked about actor Urmila Sanawar, who has been described in reports as his wife, Rathore denied knowing her. “I do not know who Urmila is,” he said, adding that he had shared all the information sought by the CBI.
The questioning comes amid renewed attention to the Ankita Bhandari case, after an alleged audio recording involving Rathore and Sanawar circulated publicly.
The recording has not been authenticated by the CBI. Its emergence had linked the two to public debate around the murder case, prompting calls for the allegations to be investigated.
In December 2025, cases were registered against Rathore in connection with the audio at four police stations: Nehru Colony and Dalanwala in Dehradun, and Bahadrabad and Jhabreda in Haridwar. Separate cases were also registered against Urmila Sanawar, according to the information available.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had earlier questioned Rathore in Haridwar. He was later arrested and sent to judicial custody. The Uttarakhand High Court subsequently granted him relief in two of the cases, the report said. Sanawar also appeared before the SIT.
The CBI’s latest questioning is the first publicly reported instance of the agency questioning Rathore in connection with the murder investigation. Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort in Pauri district, was murdered in September 2022.
The case triggered widespread protests in Uttarakhand and remains politically sensitive. The CBI’s inquiry into the latest developments has drawn fresh scrutiny, with opposition parties and campaigners continuing to demand full disclosure of the facts. Rathore said he would cooperate with CBI in the future as well.
