A CBI court on Friday ordered narco-analysis and polygraph tests of television actress Urmila Sanawar in connection with the Ankita Bhandari murder case, her lawyer said.
The tests will be conducted in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, although the dates are yet to be finalised.
"In the court, consent was given for undergoing the narco-analysis and polygraph test and her statement was also recorded. It has been decided that the test will be conducted in Gandhinagar. However, the date is yet to be set," advocate Shivani Tomar told PTI.
Tomar said Sanawar was likely to undergo a medical examination by the third week of November, following which the date for the narco-analysis test would be confirmed.
๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
The development comes amid the CBI's investigation into audio recordings that allegedly suggest the involvement of a politically influential person in the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari.
Sanawar has alleged that a "VIP" was involved in the crime and had earlier released an audio recording on social media, which she claimed contained conversations with former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore.
The recording purportedly pointed to the involvement of a powerful individual in the murder case.
The CBI subsequently issued notices to Sanawar and Rathore in connection with the audio clip to examine its authenticity and the allegations made in it.
Both Sanawar and Rathore had given their consent before a CBI court last month to undergo narco-analysis tests.
Recently appointed Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam has been named in allegations concerning the purported VIP link. Gautam has categorically denied the allegations, which remain unproven.
The CBI is examining the authenticity of the recordings as part of its investigation.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ'๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐
Sanawar had been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur in October, a day before her scheduled appearance in a Dehradun court on October 26.
A fresh FIR was registered against her ahead of the court proceedings.
Last week, she secured relief from a Haridwar court, which granted her bail in a defamation and extortion case.
The latest court order concerning narco-analysis and polygraph tests is part of the ongoing investigation into her claims regarding the murder.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐บ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, was murdered in September 2022.
The case triggered widespread outrage across Uttarakhand and demands for accountability after allegations emerged that she had been pressured to provide inappropriate services to guests.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two of his employees were subsequently convicted of her murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The investigation into the alleged VIP connection has continued to attract attention, with the CBI now examining the recordings circulated by Sanawar.
The court-ordered tests are expected to form part of the investigative process, although their dates will be determined after the necessary medical examinations and procedural formalities.