Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 15 (ANI): Congress leaders and workers, including former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Congress Management Committee Chairman Harak Singh Rawat and Election Campaign Committee Chairman Pritam Singh gathered outside Lok Bhavan in Dehradun and raised slogans over the Ankita Bhandari case on Thursday.
Following this, police detained Harish Rawat who said that there was no intention of a protest but they were there to submit a memorandum to the officials at the Lok Bhavan over the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the Sikkim Governor.
"Whereas we had no plans for any kind of protest; the only intention was to submit a memorandum. And the memorandum is very clear that Dushyant Kumar is under the scanner, and the people of Uttarakhand seriously suspect whether he is the VIP [involved]—is he the same VIP? Until the CBI finds another VIP, Dushyant Kumar will remain guilty in the eyes of the people of Uttarakhand, and appointing him as Governor," he told reporters.
The Congress workers gathered and raised slogans outside the Lok Bhavan before police intervened.
This comes after Delhi Police detained Ankita Bhandari's parents and several opposition leaders during a sit-in protest at India Gate, where demonstrators were demanding justice in the case durign the early hours of Thursday. The parents were released in the morning.
The grieving family staged a demonstration against the recent appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, citing alleged links and calling for an immediate halt to his constitutional posting pending a central investigation.
The protest is linked to the September 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Her family has objected to any individual whose name surfaced during the investigation being appointed to constitutional office without being cleared by investigative agencies.She was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022.
The resort owner Pulkit Arya (son of expelled BJP leader Vinod Arya) and two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were arrested, chargesheeted and on May 30, 2025, sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District Judge Reena Negi in Kotdwar for murder, destruction of evidence and other charges.
Allegations of VIP involvement have surfaced in public discourse since the murder. The SIT probe mentioned "VIP" in relation to a room, but police stated the conviction was based on evidence against the three accused.
Ankita Bhandari’s parents have long demanded the identity of the "VIP" guest mentioned in the case, alleging that powerful individuals have been shielded throughout the investigation. They argue that elevating a leader associated with such allegations to a high constitutional office undermines the pursuit of justice
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents, alleging they were taken into custody while peacefully demanding that Dushyant Gautam not be appointed Governor of Sikkim.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would continue to stand with the family until they received justice.
“4 AM in the morning. While the world was asleep, Ankita Bhandari's parents were taken into custody. Their crime? They were sitting quietly at India Gate—with heavy shoulders, without any commotion, and simply demanding that Dushyant Gautam should not be made the Governor of Sikkim until the CBI investigation is complete," Rahul Gandhi said.
He added, "Yesterday, Priyanka and I met these parents. Even before the results of that investigation came in, the appointment was rushed, and the parents asking questions were picked up in the dead of night. This is the hallmark of this government: silence the voices of the victims, remove those who ask questions. But the fight for justice will neither be silenced nor stopped. The Congress stands with Ankita Bhandari's family, and will continue to stand—until they get justice.”
Earlier in the day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge termed the action the "pinnacle of the Modi government's cowardice and insensitivity."
Taking to X, Kharge slammed the government, stating that while the parents pleading for justice were taken into custody, a BJP "VIP" was rewarded with a gubernatorial post.
"The pinnacle of the Modi government's cowardice and insensitivity! The parents of Ankita Bhandari, who are pleading for justice, are taken into custody, while a BJP 'VIP' is rewarded with the Governor's post! This oppression by those in power is not a sign of the government's strength, but rather proof of its attempt to flee from questions," Kharge posted on X. (ANI)
Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat detained in Dehradun outside Lok Bhavan, says "wanted to submit memorandum" amid row over Ankita Bhandari case
