Ankita Bhandari murder: Why is 19-year-olds case under spotlight four years after her death, Who is Sikkim Governor at centre of row ?

PTC News Desk: The murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand has returned to the spotlight nearly four years after her death. Her parents are demanding a fresh investigation into the alleged “VIP angle” and want authorities to establish whether anyone other than the three people convicted in the case was involved.

Their protest intensified after senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam was appointed Governor of Sikkim. Ankita’s parents want the appointment put on hold until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its probe into the alleged VIP connection. The investigation was ordered by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

On Wednesday, the family staged a sit-in protest at India Gate in Delhi. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined them. However, police detained the protesters, including Ankita’s parents, and released them in the early hours of Thursday.

The family had also met Rahul Gandhi in August to raise their concerns. The main question behind the renewed controversy is whether an influential person was connected to the circumstances surrounding Ankita’s death and whether that aspect of the case was properly investigated.

What happened to Ankita Bhandari?

Ankita worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district. She went missing in September 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.

The case sparked widespread outrage after allegations emerged that Ankita had been pressured to provide sexual favours to guests at the resort and that a dispute over these demands had preceded her murder.

Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were accused in the case. All three were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2025.

Although the trial resulted in their convictions, questions about the alleged VIP connection continued to fuel demands for a further investigation.

How did Dushyant Gautam’s name emerge in the controversy?

Dushyant Kumar Gautam, the newly appointed Sikkim Governor, came under public scrutiny after actress Urmila Sanawar released a series of videos and an audio clip. She claimed to have information about the alleged VIP whose name had been linked to Ankita’s murder.

In December 2025, Sanawar, who claims to be the second wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, shared the material on social media. It included an audio recording purportedly featuring a conversation with Rathore. Sanawar alleged that a senior leader known as “Gattu” was the VIP in the case.

The following day, Rathore questioned the authenticity of the viral audio recording and claimed it had been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor on October 12, 2026, brought the controversy back into focus and prompted Ankita’s parents to intensify their protest. The family has appealed to the Centre and President Droupadi Murmu to put the appointment on hold until the CBI completes its investigation.

During Wednesday’s protest at India Gate, Ankita’s mother broke down while demanding that Gautam not take charge as Governor before the investigation was completed. Her father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, alleged that an unidentified VIP had played a significant role in his daughter’s murder and named Gautam in connection with the allegation. These claims have not been established in court.

“Dushyant Kumar should be behind bars,” he said, urging the President to suspend the appointment until the investigation was completed. Ankita’s father also gave the Centre a 24-hour ultimatum, warning of nationwide protests if the family’s demand was not accepted.