‘Doesn’t it look like conspiracy to you?’: Uttarakhand CM Dhami suggests Ankita Bhandari protests meant to hinder his work, promises no one will be shielded

Stating that no one has been shielded from the probe in the past and will not be spared in the future, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that he would meet Ankita Bhandari’s parents and proceed with the action they demand to obtain justice for their daughter.

Speaking to the media in Dehradun, the CM, his first reaction since the new allegations emerged, said that a conspiracy is rife to hinder his work in the state. “When the paper leak protests began, it was also sparked by an audio. This time, another audio clip has led to the current state. Doesn’t this look like a conspiracy to you?” he said. He said there is a pattern of politicisation of issues. “No one has been let off, and no one will be spared if evidence is found against them,” he said.

Bhandari was a 19-year-old receptionist working at Vanantara resort in Rishikesh when she was killed by the manager, Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. Her body was found six days after she went missing and less than a month after she joined the resort as a receptionist.

The SIT, which investigated the case, had ascertained that Bhandari was being forced to render sexual favours, and when she opposed it, she was killed. Arya was convicted under sections of murder, sexual harassment, disappearance of evidence and the Immoral Trafficking Act. Although the claims that a VIP was present at the hotel on the day of the crime have been rife since the incident took place, the SIT said it could not find any influential person. Incidentally, a plea demanding a CBI probe to investigate the VIP angle had reached the apex court, which was disposed of in March 2025, stating that it had to bring closure to the special leave petition as the trial was proceeding.

In December, former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore’s wife, Urmila Sanawar, released a video alleging that the VIP was a senior BJP leader. She later posted another video, playing an audio clip of a purported conversation with Rathore, in which he identified the VIP as a leader named Gattu. As the audio led to speculation that the VIP was BJP national general secretary Dushyant Gautam, he denied the allegations, filed a complaint against the duo and opposition parties, and moved the Delhi High Court, accusing Sanawar, Rathore, and Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, among others, of defaming him.

Reiterating the sequence of events and emphasising that the government has taken every step towards justice, Dhami said, “When the incident took place, we informed the police to immediately arrest all three accused. All procedures were followed, and we appointed a woman IPS officer to head the SIT. They met with people, including family and others who could inform the cops about the case. We appealed to people to come forward with evidence through newspapers. Later, all three were sentenced to life imprisonment. But now, an audio has surfaced with many accusations. Again, we appointed an SIT to look into this and to check the credibility of these claims. We have always maintained that we are ready for any probe. Our track record shows that anyone found guilty is punished, but we need to look into the veracity of the audio clip. They have taken the names of several people… Had anyone else’s name surfaced in the probe, they would have been punished. Even in the very audio, there are contradictions; one says she was killed, and at another point, it is heard that she died by suicide,” he said.

The CM said that they will not shy away from any probe if the parents demand it. “I will meet them in person and discuss what needs to be done. I will go with their demands to help them obtain justice for their daughter,” he said.

Regarding the probe against Sanawar and Rathore, the CM stated that the police are tracing their locations and conducting raids at multiple spots to locate them. “They need to come forward and tell us why they said what they said. Suresh ji (Rathore) was in our party, but he was expelled for similar activities. Police are trying to find them,” he added.

Dhami also said that he listens to people’s demands. “When our children raised an issue, we accepted their demands and even cancelled the exam. We want justice for Ankita, and she is our daughter,” he said. Slamming the Congress for “politicising” the matter, the CM said that the opposition has lost the trust of the people, which is why they have to manufacture such an adverse environment.