The Congress on Wednesday questioned the appointment of senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged involvement of an influential person in the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case, accusing the Centre of proceeding with the constitutional appointment without waiting for the investigation to conclude.
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the decision, questioning the government's urgency in appointing Gautam to the gubernatorial post when the victim's family had been demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of a politically influential individual.
The controversy intensified as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined Ankita's parents at a protest near India Gate in New Delhi, expressing solidarity with their demand for justice.
The family has urged President Droupadi Murmu to put Gautam's appointment on hold until the CBI completes its investigation. Gautam's name has figured in allegations raised by the family and activists concerning an unidentified "VIP" allegedly linked to the case. However, he has not been named as an accused in any chargesheet, and the allegations against him have not been established by a court.
๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Khera questioned why the government had proceeded with Gautam's appointment without waiting for the outcome of the central agency's investigation. The Congress maintained that the decision raised questions about accountability and the government's commitment to ensuring an impartial inquiry into the murder.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary and former president of the party's Scheduled Castes Morcha, was appointed Governor of Sikkim on Monday as part of a series of gubernatorial appointments announced by President Murmu.
The appointment triggered protests from Congress leaders in Uttarakhand, who argued that the government should have exercised caution given the allegations raised by the victim's family.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal observed a symbolic silent fast in Dehradun on Tuesday, demanding that the appointment be reconsidered. He alleged that elevating a person whose name had been mentioned in connection with the alleged VIP angle would undermine public confidence in the investigation.
Congress leader Kumari Selja also questioned the decision, alleging that the government should have prioritised the investigation rather than proceeding with the appointment.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ต๐๐น, ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ฎ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐'๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita's parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, during their sit-in near India Gate on Wednesday evening. Several other Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, Uday Bhanu Chib and Imran Pratapgarhi, were also present.
Rahul Gandhi urged the President to reconsider Gautam's appointment until the CBI investigation was completed, arguing that the family's concerns deserved serious consideration.
Ankita's mother became emotional while appealing to the authorities to ensure justice for her daughter. The parents maintained that the investigation should establish the identity of the alleged VIP and examine whether any influential individuals had played a role in the circumstances surrounding the murder.
The family has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the investigation and demanded that all relevant evidence, including telephone records and other technical material, be examined.
๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐
The CBI took up the investigation into the alleged VIP angle earlier this year after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a central agency inquiry following demands from the victim's family.
The agency has obtained records relating to the earlier investigation, including police documents and material collected by the Special Investigation Team. CBI officers recently visited Ankita's ancestral village in Pauri district and questioned her parents.
Virendra Bhandari has questioned the pace of the inquiry, alleging that crucial evidence was not adequately examined during the earlier investigation. He has demanded scrutiny of the call records of the principal accused, Pulkit Arya, and clarification regarding the circumstances in which parts of the resort associated with the crime were demolished.
The father has also sought an investigation monitored by a Supreme Court judge, maintaining that the family wants an independent examination of the alleged involvement of influential individuals.
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐บ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, was murdered in September 2022. The case triggered widespread outrage after allegations emerged that she had been pressured to provide sexual favours to guests at the resort.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP leader, and two accomplices were subsequently arrested and prosecuted. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court.
However, questions surrounding the identity of an alleged VIP mentioned during the investigation have continued to fuel public controversy and demands for further inquiry.
The Uttarakhand government has defended its handling of the case, maintaining that prompt police action, an impartial investigation and effective prosecution resulted in the conviction of the three accused.
Government sources said the authorities had acted swiftly following Ankita's disappearance, constituted a Special Investigation Team and subsequently recommended a CBI investigation when the family sought further scrutiny.
๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ผ๐
The BJP has rejected the Congress's broader allegations concerning the handling of the murder investigation and defended the state government's response to the crime.
The controversy has nevertheless brought renewed attention to the distinction between allegations against a public figure and findings established through a criminal investigation. Gautam's appointment has not been accompanied by any judicial finding establishing his involvement in the murder.
The Congress maintains that the pending inquiry warrants caution, while the BJP-led Uttarakhand government points to the convictions already secured and its decision to permit further investigation.
With the CBI inquiry continuing, Ankita's family has reiterated its demand for a complete investigation into the alleged VIP angle, insisting that the appointment of a constitutional functionary should not stand in the way of establishing the facts surrounding their daughter's death.