Ankita Bhandari case highlights: Three years on, why is ‘VIP’ question still haunting the case?

The gruesome murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari sent shockwaves across Uttarakhand in September 2022. The three convicts have been awarded the life sentence in May this year, but even after more than four years, the case is back in the news.

The renewed interest in the case comes after the swearing-in of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the new Governor of Sikkim.

Ankita’s parents alleged Gautam to be the VIP in the alleged conspiracy to kill their daughter. They have moved court challenging his appointment as the Governor citing that the CBI probe needs to conclude before a ‘VIP’ is allowed to hold any office.

Leaders of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita’s parents at India Gate where her parents staged a sit-in protest. Delhi Police arrested the parents and several Congress leaders on the night of 14 October.

The parents were released the next morning as were some of the Congress leaders who had been detained. The developments come as the case against the three main accused faces fresh scrutiny as more questions are raised about the alleged VIP.

To understand why the VIP controversy keeps resurfacing, it is important to differentiate between what the court has found, what the family is alleging and what investigators have not found yet.

What happened to Ankita Bhandari?

Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Ganga-Bhogpur area of Pauri Garhwal district went missing on 18 September 2022. Her body was found in the Chilla canal on 24 September.

The police arrested resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and his two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. The prosecution alleged that Ankita was forced to provide se*ual services to a VIP but she refused and was later killed.

The killing of Ankita sent shockwaves across the State and triggered a wave of protests. The controversies around the case included the alleged political ties of the accused, the safety of women at workplaces and the probe itself.

A trial court in Kotdwar convicted the three on 30 May 2025. They were given the life imprisonment. The convicts were also found guilty of destroying evidence.

Despite the convictions, the case is now back in the news due to the VIP angle.

It is critical to distinguish between what the court has found, what the family is alleging and what investigators have not found yet.

The alleged VIP: how did the controversy erupt?

The controversy erupted after videos and audio recordings, which went viral on social media, in late 2025. The contents of the video and the audio are claimed to involve Urmila Sanawar, the second wife of former MLA Suresh Rathore.

She alleged that a VIP was involved in the case. Her allegations pointed towards Dushyant Kumar Gautam, a senior BJP leader. Gautam, however, denied the allegations calling it a conspiracy to malign his image. Gautam has also moved courts against the people who made the allegations against him as per the latest reports. This development has once again fanned the flames of the controversy surrounding the case.

There is a difference between what is alleged in the social media and what is found by the investigation.

A recording’s authenticity, the people named in it and the context need to be established.

The police investigation also revealed a different story about the VIP reference. Police said the VIP referenced in the case might not be the powerful political figure as alleged by the family. This prompted the family to demand a CBI investigation.

It is important to remember that neither the circulation of videos nor the name of Gautam as the VIP shows that he was involved in the murder of Ankita. Till 15 October 2026, he was not named as an accused in a chargesheet as per several media sources.

The CBI investigation: why are the parents demanding for answers?

On 9 January 2026, after repeated requests from Ankita’s parents, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a CBI investigation into the murder of Ankita.

The parents wanted the VIP angle to be probed independently apart from the three convicts. They also wanted the CBI investigation to be monitored by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

The CBI registered a case concerning the VIP angle. The registration of the case does not establish any additional criminal liability, but it indicates that the allegations of the family are under investigation.

The investigation’s speed and scope have become a concern for Ankita’s father, Virendra Bhandari. He expressed his concerns in October 2026 questioning the investigation’s progress and suggesting that the CBI was not looking at the technical evidence.

He further demanded that judicial oversight was needed in the CBI investigation. The New Indian Express October 13 report stated that CBI sleuths have visited Ankita’s ancestral village to question her parents after a long break.

Her father’s criticisms of the CBI investigation are not based on any evidence that he has discovered; rather, they are based on the fact that the organization has accepted responsibility for it.

The CBI investigation’s importance is connected to these aspects; it does not respond to the family’s concerns about who the VIP is or whether additional individuals should be investigated for criminal conduct.

The family wants more than simply an announcement that the CBI has launched an inquiry; it wants answers based on the leads that the family has pointed out.

Why has Dushyant Kumar Gautam’s appointment become controversial?

Dushyant Kumar Gautam was sworn in as the new Governor of Sikkim on 12 October 2026.

Gautam’s swearing-in coincided with fresh protests over the Ankita Bhandari case.

The reason for this was simple – Ankita’s parents accused Gautam of being the VIP involved in the case. They approached the President requesting that his swearing-in as the Governor of Sikkim be postponed until the CBI investigation into his alleged role concluded.

This is a valid concern for Ankita’s parents considering the fact that Dushyant’s name was linked to the VIP in the case. However, the mere fact that his name was linked to the VIP does not make him guilty.

The family rightfully objects to his appointment while he is accused of being involved in the case. However, this objection does not establish his guilt.

The facts in this instance highlight two separate issues – the parent’s concerns about the CBI investigation and whether the allegations made against Gautam are substantiated.

The CBI investigation must respond to the parent’s concerns. The second issue is whether the family can get the answers it seeks from the CBI.

Gautam’s appointment as the Governor of Sikkim has fueled the controversy surrounding the case. Now, the politics around Ankita’s case are coming to a head.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi meet Ankita’s parents

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita’s parents on 14 October during their protest near India Gate in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi condoled with Ankita’s parents and criticized the BJP for the alleged role of Gautam and for not taking action on the case. He said that the family was still waiting for justice and called for the immediate termination of Gautam’s appointment.

Priyanka Gandhi met Ankita’s parents and expressed her solidarity with them. She also supported the family’s call for the termination of Gautam’s appointment.

This development in the case has garnered national media attention. It has also reignited the feud between the Congress and the BJP over the case.

While the Congress’s allegations of political interference are a political tool, it does not change the fact that investigators must look into the claims.

For Ankita’s parents, however, the meeting was a show of support.

The meeting took a turn for the worse for Ankita’s parents when Delhi Police arrested them and several Congress leaders at around 2 am on 15 October. The parents were released at around 5 am along with several Congress leaders.

What happens next?

There are three questions that define this controversy at this point. First, what will the CBI find concerning the VIP angle? Second, will Ankita’s parents get the judicial supervision that they have requested? Third, will the authorities respond to the family’s concerns without violating any laws?

In addition to the fact that the murder of Ankita is a sensitive issue, these questions must also consider the rights and responsibilities of all parties.

The CBI investigation is of critical importance to this case.

The investigation must establish whether the CBI has sufficient evidence to charge any additional individuals. This is important because despite the fact that three people have been convicted of first-degree murder, each of them has been found guilty based on circumstantial evidence.

The family’s concerns regarding the CBI investigation must also be addressed.

Unless addressed, the family will continue to believe that its concerns are not being taken seriously and will continue to protest.

Despite the fact that Ankita’s family has the right to protest and pursue justice, the law requires that any allegations must be proved. This brings us to the issue of the VIP angle.

The family has a right to know who he is and what his connection to Ankita is. If there is no connection, the family has an equal right to know why these allegations are being made. The family must be able to receive objective, factual information. It must be provided in a manner that upholds the law, the rights of others and the dignity of the deceased.

The bigger picture

The Ankita Bhandari case is back in the news because a criminal conviction and a family’s demand for further answers are not the same thing. Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in this crime.

The CBI has launched an investigation into the allegations concerning the VIP, but Ankita’s parents continue to question the investigation’s efficacy.

The recent protests, Gautam’s inauguration and Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi’s involvement have sparked renewed debate about this case.

But what matters is what the evidence says. The identity of any additional person and his or her potential criminal liability for the death of Ankita need to be established by a reliable investigation and the appropriate legal procedures.

The main concern for Ankita’s family is whether every lead has been followed. For everyone else, it is a matter of accountability.