DEHRADUN: In a development that has sent ripples across Uttarakhand, the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Court convicted all three accused in the sensational Ankita Bhandari murder case.
The case dates back to September 2022, when Bhandari, a receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district, was brutally murdered. The court will pronounce the sentence later on Friday afternoon. Notably, the prime accused, Pulkit Arya, is the son of a former BJP Minister of State.
The shocking case surfaced on September 18, 2022, following the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari. She was employed as a receptionist at the Vanantara Resort, located in the Yamkeshwar area of the Pauri district. Her body was later thrown into the Cheela Shakti Canal and recovered approximately a week later, triggering widespread outrage.
Before her murder, Ankita, a resident of Pauri Garhwal, had reportedly expressed concerns about the resort's activities and her safety. Following her death, a significant stir was created when her phone calls and chats came to light, hinting at the circumstances leading to her demise. "This verdict is a crucial step towards justice for Ankita," stated a legal observer, speaking anonymously. "The trial has been long and arduous."
Following an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), a case was registered against resort owner Pulkit Arya and his two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, under serious sections including murder, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy.
Based on the extensive investigation, the police filed a nearly 500-page chargesheet in court, naming a total of 97 witnesses. Of these, 47 witnesses were examined in court during the trial. Throughout the rigorous judicial process, which spanned over two years and eight months, all three accused were produced in court from jail.
It is noteworthy that a dispute reportedly erupted between Ankita and Pulkit Arya over the issue of providing "extra services" to an alleged "VIP". Ankita had also confided in her friend, Pushpdeep, about this matter. Pushpdeep, in his video statement, had also spoken about the 'VIP'. However, the investigation did not yield significant clues regarding the 'VIP', with the BJP government later clarifying in the assembly that 'VIP' referred to a 'VIP room'.
However, Ankita's mother later created a sensation by publicly naming a BJP leader in a video statement. "My daughter sought justice, and today, the court has shown a ray of hope," she had stated emotionally in an earlier interaction with the media.
It is pertinent to mention that the Vanantara Resort, owned by BJP and RSS leader Vinod Arya (Pulkit Arya's father), was frequented by many individuals.
Following the murder, the BJP also stripped party leader Vinod Arya of his responsibilities.
In the immediate aftermath of Ankita's murder, and following widespread outrage on social media, the Vanantara Resort was controversially demolished overnight by a bulldozer. This swift action sparked concerns that crucial evidence might have been inadvertently destroyed. There were also suggestions that multiple individuals were behind the decision to demolish the resort.
Furthermore, incidents of fire at a resort and factory located near the renowned Cheela Canal in Ganga Bhogpur also raised several questions about the circumstances surrounding the case.