A Uttarakhand court on Friday sentenced a resort operator and his two employees to rigorous life imprisonment in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. Bhandari, who worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort located in Yamkeshwar of Pauri district, was murdered on September 18, 2022, by resort operator Pulkit Arya and his two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta.
According to news agency PTI quoting prosecution lawyer Ajay Pant, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Reena Negi also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on all three convicts. The prosecution further said that Arya and Bhandari had a dispute over something, after which the three pushed the woman into the Cheela canal in Rishikesh.
A Look At The Crime That Shocked India
Bhandari, a resident of the Pauri district in Uttarakhand, was employed as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar, Rishikesh. In 2022, she was murdered by the owner of the resort named Pulkit Arya and his two employees, Bhaskar and Gupta. Reportedly, three men pushed her into the Chilla canal in Rishikesh following a dispute. She was missing for nearly a week until her body was recovered from the canal.
Political Repercussions
The father of Pulkit Arya, Vinod Arya, a senior member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was expelled from the party. However, he still defended his son and referred to him as a simple boy who wouldn’t commit such a crime. His comments, however, drew sharp criticism.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami announced that the case would be tried in a fast-track court. The state government also appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by senior IPS officer Reunka Devi. A compensation of Rs. 25 lakh was announced for Ankita’s family.
In a record 90 days, police submitted a 500-page charge sheet, according to the mandated timeline for the fast-track proceedings. Over 100 individuals were interviewed, including the employees of the resort, a digital forensic expert and the friends of Ankita. According to NDTV, the prosecution argued that Ankita was targeted because she resisted Arya’s alleged attempts to push her into prostitution, a claim supported by chats, audio recordings, and witness testimony.
The verdict was announced by the court today. All three – Pulkit Arya, Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankit Gupta – have been convicted of murder.
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