Ankita Bhandari murder: Angry crowd burns resort, BJP MLA's car attacked

Hours after the body of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari was recovered from a canal in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh on Saturday, locals set fire to the resort at which she worked. The resort was owned by Pulkit Arya, the son of former Uttarakhand BJP minister Vinod Arya and the main accused in the teenager’s murder case.

The BJP has expelled Vinod Arya and his other son Ankit Arya, who was vice-president of the Uttarakhand OBC commission, from the party over the incident.

According to BJP’s media in-charge, Manveer Chauhan, action has been taken against Vinod and his son Ankit on the orders of state BJP president Mahendra Bhatt.

Violent protests erupted in areas surrounding the resort with locals breaking glass panes and some trying to torch a pickle factory in its premises.

#AnkitaBhandari murder case | Locals set Vanatara resort in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand on fire.

The resort is owned by BJP leader Vinod Arya's son Pulkit Arya. Three accused, including Pulkit, have been arrested in connection with the murder case. pic.twitter.com/FpPIoioC4f

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 24, 2022

BJP’s Yamkeshwar MLA Renu Bisht’s car was also attacked near the Cheela canal close to Rishikesh from where the young woman’s body was recovered, six days after her parents found her missing from her room. However, the crowds, seething with anger, succeeded only in breaking the rear windscreen of her car and Bisht was escorted to safety by police personnel.

Dhami assures action

As the ripples of anger spread, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami promised that no one would be spared and that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General P Renuka Devi had been constituted to probe all aspects.

“It is a tragic incident. Such a heinous crime has been committed against our daughter. Action is being taken against those involved in it. The father and brother of the main accused Pulkit Arya have been expelled from the BJP,” Dhami told reporters.

“Demolition of the resort owned by the main accused is underway. Some of its rooms have also been sealed so that evidence is not destroyed. We have also issued an order to identify all resorts built illegally on government or forest land and demolish them,” he added.

Bhandari had been under pressure from Pulkit Arya — who was arrested on Friday with resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar and assistant manager Ankit Gupta and sent to 14 days judicial custody — to provide “special services” to guests, Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said.

Ankita called friend

Earlier, a Facebook friend of Ankita alleged that she was killed after she refused to have sex with the guests at the resort.

Before the girl’s body was found on Saturday, she was reported missing by her parents on Monday (September 19) morning after they could not find her in her room.

According to Bhandari’s friend, she had called him the night she was killed to tell him that she was in trouble. She told her friend that Pulkit and two of his managers were putting pressure on her to have sex with the guests visiting the resort.

Ankita’s phone had gone unreachable at 8:30 pm. When her friend could not connect with her, he called Pulkit, who said she had gone to her room to sleep.

Also Read: BJP leader’s son arrested for killing receptionist at his resort in Uttarakhand

Pulkit’s phone was switched off the next day. Ankita’s friend then rang up Ankit Gupta, the resort’s assistant manager, who said she was in the gym. The resort’s chef, however, revealed that he had not seen Ankita that day.

Pulkit, resort manager Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit were arrested on Friday and sent to 14-day judicial custody.

While they were being taken to a court in Kotdwar on Friday, the police car was attacked by an angry mob who smashed the car’s windowpanes and roughed up the three men.

#WATCH | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: Women gherao the Police vehicle that was carrying the accused in Ankita Bhandari murder case

The 19-yr-old receptionist went missing a few days ago & her body was found today. 3 accused, incl Pulkit -owner of the resort where she worked- arrested pic.twitter.com/v3IK8zE1xI

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 23, 2022

Also read: Lakhimpur Kheri rape and murder: Family says victims were supportive, ambitious

Congress protest

Meanwhile, the Congress staged protests in district headquarters across the state on Saturday to voice its anger over the vulnerability of women in the state.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Karan Mahra said the young woman had gone missing on September 18 and the FIR was lodged four days later. “It shows the state government is not serious in its actions. Women are not safe in Uttarakhand,” Mahra said.